Saving Energy, One TV at a Time

Today's bigger, better and brighter TVs consume a lot more electricity than the old cathode ray tube sets of a decade ago. When combined with related devices, TVs make up about 10% of the average household's annual electricity bill. Toss in gaming consoles and home theater systems and you may be accounting for some serious electricity consumption-and pollution.

Even when you think these products are off, together their standby consumption-referred to as "phantom" electricity loads-can be equivalent to that of a 75 or 100 watt light bulb running continuously.

The average home has roughly two TVs, a VCR, a DVD player and three telephones. If these items were replaced with ENERGY STAR models, it would save over 25 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent to taking over 3 million cars off the road.  If replacing the electronics in your home with more energy efficient models isn't an option, consider plugging them into a power strip that will allow you to eliminate the "phantom" loads they may draw when not in use.

DVRs and products like the Tivo and Slingbox certainly provide a convenient way to watch TV, but they consume energy since they're always on.  Cable and satellite television providers generally choose the unit for the customer-and they have little reason to care about the energy consumption of the unit.  Set-top boxes to use about 30 to 40 watts, 24 hours per day.  Most DVRs do not include energy-saving features, leaving owners few or no options for reducing the energy consumption of your DVR.  NRDC is working with the industry and with regulators to improve this situation.  And looking ahead, Energy Star has just added energy-efficiency guidelines for digital cable ready (DCR) televisions with a point of deployment (POD) slot. Basically, these TVs add the functions of a cable box to your television set by using a card that you can get from your local cable operator. Energy Star qualified versions of these TVs are not yet available, but they should be on shelves soon.

In the meantime, there's plenty you can do to reduce the energy consumption of your current equipment when it's on and when it's "off."  Look through your television's menu system for energy- or power-saving modes and use them if your TV has them.

Reduce the brightness setting of your television.  TVs sometimes come set from the factory at a higher than necessary brightness setting.  For many TVs, brighter settings require more power and don't necessarily provide a better picture.  In fact, you may prefer the way your TV looks with the brightness set at a lower level.

Control the light in the room so that the TV doesn't have to work so hard to overpower the ambient light. By closing the shades you can keep your house cooler in the summer and by turning down the lights you will save even more electricity.

Turn the television off when you aren't watching it.

Before you purchase a new TV, assess your needs before you enter the store. It's easy to be seduced when standing by larger and more expensive sets once you enter a store.  In fact, most stores are set up to persuade you to do just that, so spend some extra time thinking about exactly what you need in terms of television size, type, and price-and keep that in mind when visiting the store.  Remember that when comparing televisions of the same type (e.g. LCD, projection, plasma), larger televisions generally consume more power than smaller ones when turned on.  There is, however, a wide range of variation in energy efficiency across different types of television technologies.  And while LCD TVs are generally more efficient than plasma TVs, the best plasmas may be more efficient than the least efficient LCDs.  

Current Energy Star standards for home electronics are out of date and only measure the power used when the device is "off" or in standby mode. Energy Star will release updated energy efficiency standards for televisions in 2009. These new standards, which NRDC helped design, will include measures for energy consumption when the TV is actually on.

Manufacturers are already responding to the demand for more environmentally friendly televisions.  Some examples can automatically dim the screen in response to the material being watched and are manufactured using components that are free of or have low levels of poisonous metals such as lead and mercury. 

Remember to dispose of your old television properly. Old electronics are a fast growing portion of America's waste and can present an environmental hazard if not disposed of properly. With an average of four pounds of lead in many older TV picture tubes, along with other potentially hazardous materials, electronics call for special handling at the end of their lives-or when being replaced by a newer model.

Donating or recycling your outdated electronics supports the recovery and reuse of valuable materials and encourages the safe management of their potentially hazardous components. It also helps reduce the pollution and energy use tied to the production of new electronics. Finally, it can put a computer, television, or cell phone in the hands of someone who really needs it.

Reduce the brightness setting of your television and look through your television's menu system for energy- or power-saving modes.	Use power strips to switch off televisions, home theater equipment, and stereos when you're not using them or when you go out of town. If you're buying a new TV look for a unit that includes a built-in DVD player and POD slot, they usually consume less energy in standby mode than separate components.	Make your entire home more energy efficient; start with our tips for the kitchen and laundry room.

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