Use these Guidelines to Choose the Best Energy-Efficient TV
When you’re ready to buy a new TV, these guidelines will help you choose the most energy-efficient model.
The amount of energy your TV consumes depends upon its
- Size
- Technology Type
- Settings
1. Size:
Bigger TVs use more power. In fact, many of the new large TVs use more energy than the old-fashioned tube TVs simply because of their size, even though the old ones weren’t energy efficient!
Very large TVs are easily available and sold as glamorous, but they can end up dominating a room, as well as using a lot of energy – to manufacture, to ship and to operate.
So, buy a TV no larger than you need and which fits comfortably in the room where you will use it.
2. Technology Type:
The common choices today are between Plasma and LCD TVs.
Plasmas use up to three times the amount of energy of an LCD TV! Buy plasma TVs only if you need to watch the TV from different angles and places – e.g. in a large public bar or an airport – or if you want extremely high picture quality (although LCDs are catching up rapidly).
Personally, on normal TV programs, I can’t tell the difference in quality between equivalent plasma and LCD models.
LCD TVs are currently the most energy-efficient TVs, but they do vary hugely from model to model. The most efficient LCD TVs are those with LED backlighting. Hot cathode fluorescent lighting (HCFL) can also be a good efficiency choice. Other choices are rear (or front) projection TVs, but they are declining in popularity.
3. Settings:
The brighter the TV, the more energy it uses.
You can cut your power requirements by up to half without affecting picture quality. As discussed in 6 tips for a more efficient TV, change your TV setting from “retail” to “home”, and then use the remote control to change your viewing mode – avoid dynamic, sports or vivid mode, and instead choose standard, movie or cinema. (For example, avoid choosing dynamic mode as its automatic adjustments can be distracting even though it saves energy, and some energy-saver modes can make the picture too dim for viewing comfort).
Other features for saving power might not affect the picture quality at all. For example:
- A “picture off” setting just plays the audio, thus greatly reducing power consumption if you would rather listen than watch
- Automatic turn off after a set period of time, via a sleep timer or after a set period of inactivity. A couple of Sony models even have a “presence sensor” that automatically turns off the picture, and eventually the TV itself, when you leave the room. (Although there is an argument for actually taking responsibility yourself rather than leaving everything to machines).
TVs consume power when switched off, but Energy Star TVs consume less than 1 watt of power while off (i.e. if you left it switched off for a year it would probably cost you less than $2).
Do you have a favourite / best energy-efficient TV? Let me know in the Comments below.
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These are all great point to think of when looking for an energy efficient flat screen television.
Scott Sylvan Bell
Hi Green Goddess,
Oh, I like these tips. I hadn’t really thought of choosing an energy efficient television set. Your ecofriendly tips are very helpful.
Thank you!
The size comment really struck home for me. I recently purchased a television and compared to the others in the store it didn’t look that big. I would offer that you should measure twice as too how large you really can go and marry that to how far you will be seated from the TV. It makes a world of difference and I found out the hard way. On the up side, I converted my extra bedroom into a theater room to get rid of the massive thing.
You make a very valid point about size – you don’t buy one of the seriously massive ones in the store so you think you’re buying a small-ish one, and then get it home and discover it’s actually huge. Presumably it benefits retailers and manufacturers to “super-size” TVs too. Thanks Kevin!
I’ve never been keen on the idea of big TVs in the house. Took your advice to heart in the purchase of a new monitor, though.
Excellent – thank you Dewayne! 🙂
Got rid of my plasma and downsized to a good brand of LCD . Well aware of the power efficient models around . Generally stick with the well established manufacturers , but check the wattage figure on back of tv , lower the better .
Thanks for your comments John. Yes, having a low wattage – and checking for it – is a great tip! Generally the wattage stated is for the lowest power mode, and doesn’t normally include wi-fi options etc. A few years ago, we couldn’t have conceived of TV doing so many things! Delighted you’ve gone LCD! Like you, I tend to prefer the well-established manufacturers for long-lasting high-purchase-cost items.