Regulatory or Market? Here's an example!

I was listening to the radio this morning and heard a news story about how Japan is struggling to lower its carbon emissions. The government is sponsoring a public education campaign to encourage consumers to conserve energy. One of the things the campaign suggests is unplugging appliances when you are not using them. Many people don't realize this, but appliances consume energy even when they are in stand by mode. The campaign specifically mentions unplugging microwaves. Here's the rub. I can't access the plug on my microwave or my stove - they are behind cabinets. I imagine that's true of a lot of people. When I looked at my microwave, I saw it, my stove and my coffeemaker all telling me the time. I wonder how many electricity all three appliances are using to tell me the same bit of info.

In thinking about this and it seems like here is a place where the government could step in and require all appliance manufacturers to figure out how to make a microwave that doesn't use electricity when not in use and that doesn't inconvenience the consumer. I really hope I don't have to buy a new stove or microwave soon and my coffeemaker is my best friend. I want to conserve energy because it is the right thing to do AND it lowers my electric bills, but not enough to replace expensive appliances just for that reason. I think engineers can do amazing things, why not this? Is this is a good way for governments to encourage new technologies?

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