Hang on a mo... it just has - and it was.

The Breville Radio Toaster (RRP £49.99) was arguably developed after a similar idea was aired in a radio broadcast as an April Fool scam a few years ago.

This latest in a long line of ingenious and sometimes eccentric kitchen gadgets does have a practical purpose though; it frees up space in a bijou kitchen and allows people to listen to their favourite breakfast show while toasting their favourite slices of white or wholemeal.

Not only that but as well an FM radio, it features an auxiliary input so early birds can connect their mp3 digital music players, such as an iPod and sashay around the kitchen to their own bespoke playlist..

Stuart Miles, the editor of the Pocket-lint gadget website, said: “It’s a fun modern day idea, combining two into one and leaving more room for another kitchen gadget. It’s music to eat your toast to.”

So is this an example of decluttering or just plain old gimmickry? If we are really serious about conserving energy and embracing a more environmentally friendly lifestyle the kitchen is a great place to start.

All those electricity hungry appliances come at some cost - not only to our wallets but also to the planet. So what are the facts and what is the fiction when it comes to white - (and green, black, stainless steel etc) goods.

The washing machine is one of the greediest consumers of resources in most kitchens. It feeds on both water and power in quantity but it won't always tell you the whole truth about how to save on these things. A half-load wash, for example, might or might not use half the amount of water of a normal wash.

You don't need drinking grade quality water either; there are companies that supply equipment that collects rainwater through downpipes, then filters it to make it usable for cleaning and flushing that will see water bills drop by 80% as a result. And it has the added benefit of keeping the rainwater soft so it lathers up with less detergent.

But the first steps towards making a kitchen more green would include the obvious: filling the chimney of an unused fireplace, so heat won't escape; insulating cavity walls. If you are replacing a kitchen, think about installing wooden worktops from sustainable sources rather than their granite counterparts that won't grow back, and which have a much higher payload when it comes to transporting them due to their weight.

Look at the rating of your fridge freezer and the energy rating and water consumption of your dishwasher. Always fill the dishwasher rather than half fill it, and the same with the washing machine. Drying clothes can rarely be done mechanically without huge use of energy and expense, he says, but the old pulley system is coming back into vogue so you can have an indoor washing line, using heat you're already producing to dry your items for nothing.

There are a number of other eco-gadgets on the market.

Zero-electricity coffeemakers require hand-pumping once boiling water is added and

kettles, too, are getting greener. Eco-friendly models especially for coffee will heat water to only 90 degrees, which is all it needs (coffee buffs will tell you any hotter and it'll spoil), while herbal tea drinkers shouldn't need any more than 80 degrees. There are models available with variable temperatures for both of these. But gadgets aside, it's common sense which counts most, and heating only the right amount of water is a better bet than anything too fancy.

Kitchens are major sources of consumption – and waste. Apparently 40% of household energy goes into driving electro-mechanical motors, which you'll find in your washing machine and dishwasher, among other gadgets, and most are designed for a load much larger than they're ever likely to need to cope with. Most of them don't even vary the power they use; they're either on or off.

You should also pay attention to the added extras in your kitchen, such as a phone or a TV. These can be sourced responsibly, and in the case of the TV, should be switched off rather than left on standby.

So here are a few tips to point you in the direction of a greener kitchen

>Choose the right hob for heating a saucepan. Don't use a large hob for a small pan and heat the sides and the air around it when most of the water that needs heating is in the centre.

>Make a list of what you plan to cook for the week and stick to it as far as possible – you'll cut down on waste and unnecessary trips in the car to the shops, as you'll have shopped in advance.

>A well-stocked fridge and freezer will function more efficiently than one that's nearly empty.

>The star ratings on appliances are useful but dated – hardly anyone makes an E-rated item nowadays. Look for the extra stars after the A – they usually mean 10% more efficient.

>Composting leftovers and vegetable trimmings costs nothing, and saves money you would otherwise spend on compost from the garden centre.

>You don't need to fill a kettle full of water to make a single cup of coffee. You really don't.

>But you do need a full load for the dishwasher to work at maximum efficiency.

>Recycle, recycle, recycle – local authorities are bending over backwards to help with different boxes for different substances, and many local dumps have turned into recycling centres.

>Buy unprocessed and local foods wherever possible – they use up less resources and you'll know what's in your food whatever you're eating.

>Repair rather than replace electrical goods wherever possible. Studies in the US have shown that a lot of people replace items which are in need of only a minor repair – not only is this costly, it is unecological too.