Big TVs Mean Bigger Electric Bills: Consider Power Consumption Before Holiday Shopping

Contact: Priscilla Knight, 703-392-1580, pknight@novec.com

NORTHERN VIRGINIA—Most big-screen and digital televisions are boosting home energy consumption today, and the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative wants consumers to be aware.

Most plasma, rear-projection, and liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions use more electricity than conventional analog cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions, says NOVEC. Adding DVD and VCR players, gaming consoles, satellite receivers, and digital recorders to home entertainment centers add even more to the electric load.  

"We encourage our customer-owners to use energy wisely," says Mike Curtis, NOVEC's public relations vice president. "New audio-visual devices make home entertainment more enjoyable, but we want people to be aware that they also use more energy."  Curtis recommends that holiday shoppers study and compare the estimated energy consumption of different TVs and ancillary devices before purchasing them.

"CNET has a helpful Web site," says Curtis.  "It compares the estimated annual energy costs of 54 television makes and models." CNET's Web site, http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6475_7-6400401-3.html?tag=arw, reports that the average plasma TV requires 323 watts of power—almost three times as much as the average CRT.  One 65-inch LCD television on the market uses 583 watts when in use and 76 watts when it is "off."  The TV—on for the national average of eight hours a day—costs approximately $223 each year, nationally, in electricity.

Average Television Power Consumption Rate
Plasma: 328 watts
Rear-projection: 208 watts
LCD: 193 watts
CRT: 146 watts

Games Power Consumption Rate
PlayStation 3: 197 watts
Xbox360: 187 watts

To determine the energy use of a TV, video game system or any other appliance, multiply the watts by the hours of use in a month and divide by 1,000.  This formula will give the number of kilowatt-hours consumed.  

Bigger screens mean bigger electric bills. Popular TVs sold today have screens up to 65 inches. High-definition TVs (HDTV) generally draw more power in order to deliver more picture clarity.  The more pixels—color dots—per inch and the brighter the picture, the more power the TV needs.  HDTV sets have almost six times the number of pixels as conventional CRT TVs.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association, digital TV sales have grown from zero in 1996 to an expected 53 percent of all TV sales in 2008. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency predicts that most televisions sold in the U.S. by the end of the decade will be HDTVs, because, by law, television stations will stop broadcasting in analog by February 17, 2009, and will only broadcast digital signals. Owners of analog TVs will need to buy converter boxes to change digital broadcasts into analog format. As a result, The EPA estimates that the switch to HDTVs will increase television energy consumption by at least 75 percent.

"Northern Virginia is one of the most affluent regions in the country," says Curtis. "Many of our customers live in large homes and have multiple televisions.  Different family members keep the TVs on in different rooms—sometimes for many hours a day. The era when most families had one black and white TV in the living room is gone. While TVs are not in the same category as major appliances such as water heaters or air conditioners, when it comes to energy use, it still makes good sense for consumers to consider efficiency when purchasing and using a HDTV."

Modern televisions and other audio-visual devices consume energy even when they are off, because they are in standby mode.  Standby allows the devices to turn on quickly without having to warm up.  Standby energy consumption varies with different makes and models, but it averages 10 percent. The only way to stop this energy use is to stop the flow of electricity altogether. This can be done by unplugging the devices, or by plugging them into a power strip and turning off the strip.

Currently, the federal government's Energy Star rating system—voluntary for manufacturers—only compares energy use of TVs while they idle in standby mode.  But the EPA may soon revise its Energy Star system to include switched-on TVs.