In today’s screen-centric world, it’s hard to find a house without a TV. Quite often, it includes more than one—and sometimes, even more than one per household member. With TVs being such a regular part of our lives, the Energy Education Council wants you to know how you can save energy and money with your next TV purchase.
It pays to be energy-wise when shopping for TVs because the cost of owning one includes more than just the initial purchase price.
Big factors in determining power consumption include the size of the screen, the type of TV and the picture settings. After you’ve made decisions about what you want in viewing quality, look at Energy Star-rated products. Energy Star labels make comparing model efficiency and cost much easier. In addition, Energy Star-certified TVs are more energy-efficient than other models, keeping more money in your pocket.
TV technology continues to expand—from the different types to their various features. Look for aspects that can have an impact on efficiency and the cost of operation, such as:
- Automatic brightness control, which controls the brightness of the TV relative to the brightness of the room
- Local dimming, in which sections of LED backlighting are turned off or dimmed to help produce deep blacks and save energy
- Preset picture settings, which are options you can choose that reflect changes in the brightness and contrast ratio
On an Energy Star-rated TV, the default picture setting is the setting that has earned the Energy Star certification. To ensure you receive maximum energy savings, use this setting often.
Even if you aren’t ready to purchase a new TV, there are still things you can do to be thriftier and more efficient.
Because electronics that are turned off sometimes still draw power, a power strip can be used to plug in multiple devices, and power to these devices can be cut off with a simple flip of a switch. Power strips can be efficiently put to use in a spare room where electronics are not used very often or in an area where there are large concentrations of electronics, like in an office.
Smart power strips are another energy-saving option. Plug the TV into the control outlet on the smart strip. It will detect when the control unit is off and shut off power to peripherals, such as a cable box or gaming console, which are plugged into the automatically switched outlets.
And consider cutting the number of household TV screens down to one, not only to encourage family time but also to decrease the electricity demand.
For more information about improving energy efficiency, visit energyedcouncil.org.
