Saving energy at home:
Your TV energy cost primer

We love television! Studies show that the average American watches it about four hours a day. In a large number of homes at least one set is on from morning until bedtime, and in others it's on all night long.

That results in significant electricity use. Granted, the many hours of entertainment television provides often make the extra expense an excellent value. But often use is not planned or even realized.

Because the number of TV sets and associated equipment in our homes is growing, it makes good sense to take steps to reduce energy use wherever possible.

Equipment options have grown

Four types of television sets are widely available on the market today. Of those, plasma screen and rear-projection TVs use substantially more energy than traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs. This is not because rear-projection and plasma sets are particularly inefficient. It's because these sets usually are purchased with larger screens.

What effect does television have on your electric bill?

It should come as no surprise that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. Because no two homes are exactly the same, the answer depends upon a fairly large number of factors, including:

• The number of television sets in the home.
• The type and size of the sets.
• The number of hours watched or games played.
• The number of peripherals.

TV peripherals add to operating costs

Most people aren't aware that electricity use often is more than doubled by peripherals (digital cable boxes, DVD players, VCRs, game boxes, and TiVo's) linked to the television set.

A National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) study estimates that energy used by television and related peripherals accounts for as much as 10 percent of the electric bill in a typical American home, and these add-ons often use half of that energy. The NRDC's estimate is based on a home with a large-screen high-definition TV, a DVD player, and VCR in addition to an HD set-top box coupled with the old-style small-screen analog CRT television, a DVD player, VCR, and a digital cable set-top box. That might sound like a lot of equipment, but it's not unusual. (If you have less equipment your energy costs would be lower.)

How to reduce energy costs

• Avoid the temptation to move the old set to another room when a new set is purchased. Even when the TV is not watched, its instant-on feature uses energy. And you'll find that you'll probably accumulate more peripheral equipment for that set.
• Consider the additional energy used when adding peripherals.
• Check the energy-use guide when purchasing new equipment. (The TV/VCR Specifications on the Energy Star web site is a good place to start.)
• Always turn off TVs and equipment when not being viewed, and unplug them when they're unlikely to be used for some time.

A final word

Purchasing a new television can be a complicated process. New technologies, high definition, and ever-increasing screen sizes make the choice even more difficult, especially if you're concerned with energy use. The wise energy manager will become familiar with the technology and the specific models being considered before making a purchase from a knowledgeable, trustworthy dealer.

This article first appeared in Lake and Home Magazine, Feb/Mar 2008.