The tool – nicknamed the “i-Trod” by its developers - is designed to show young people the damage simply leaving gadgets such as the PS3 or Nintendo Wii on standby or leaving their MP3s charging unnecessarily can do.

Energy watchdogs predict that consumer electronics will account for nearly half of all domestic energy usage by 2020, and are currently responsible for over four million tonnes of excess carbon dioxide emissions every year.

However, MTVN UK said a recent study it conducted showed that British youth are less concerned about climate change than their counterparts in less developed countries, demonstrating a real need for education among young people about the impact of their growing carbon footprint.

At the same time the number of young people using gadgets to listen to music or download videos is higher than ever before.

“Our own research shows 67 per cent of British youngsters are listening to more music than ever before thanks to technology,” said David Lynn, MD at MTV Networks UK and Ireland.

“At the same time we need to raise awareness of energy wastage this could lead to and the climate change implications of that.”

MTV is also making the online calculator available as an embed for websites or web logs.