We love relaxing in front of the television, sometimes even falling asleep without a worry in the world! While in dreamland, your television is still on and using energy, even in standby mode.
Whether watching TV or leaving it on standby mode, it uses electricity. Sources have indicated that the amount of power a TV uses on standby mode can be as much as 20% of the TV’s total energy consumption. Shocking right?
The good news is that most of the latest models are more efficient than their predecessors, and you can take steps to make sure yours is as well.
Stand by and get ready to switch on your tech-savvy side; we will guide you through everything you need to know about your television’s energy consumption.
Content
What Determines My TV’s Energy Consumption?
Your television EPEAT score
The materials used to make your television
Your television’s standby mode features
Your television's size affects your consumption
Screen time affects energy consumption
How Much Energy Does a TV Use in Standby Mode?
What Determines My TV’s Energy Consumption?
These days most of us have access to at least one TV, usually located in our living room (although many like to keep a second in the bedroom too). The big black box is much hated by interior designers who want to create ambience to your home but it's much loved by those who use daily.
Buying a TV is cheap as chips so it is easy to see why having multiple sets in a house makes sense. However, running all of these units (as well as any computer screens in your home office) results in larger energy consumption that can add up to your household bill.
So let's have a look at what can influence your TV energy consumption, even when it is on standby.
Your location
Where you live and what type of television you have, impacts its consumption. In some countries like Japan and Switzerland, televisions automatically go into standby mode after 30 minutes. Any device purchased there will therefore automatically save energy by shutting down when not in use, reducing its carbon footprint (and the electricity bill).
Your television EPEAT score
You may not have known this, but environmental impact studies are not only done outdoors in nature but also on the television in your living room! Televisions are manufactured with an environmental performance rating of either Gold, Silver or Bronze.
The rating is your television’s EPEAT score, meaning Electronic Environmental Assessment Tool.
The higher the score, the more energy efficient the television is, with Gold using the least power, with the smallest carbon footprint, than the silver and bronze scores.
The materials used to make your television
The materials and resources used for manufacturing;
Television packaging content;
Television life cycle analysis (the environmental impact over time);
Non-toxicity testing;
Recyclability;
Efficiency standards met;
Recycled content in packaging material production;
Water reduction during the manufacturing process;
Greenhouse gas emission percentages
Your television’s standby mode features
Most televisions have a standby feature that is on by default. When you turn your television off, it does not use energy.
When you leave it on, and it goes into standby mode on its own, it uses electricity to keep the display active.
Smart TVs usually have timers in place, but if your television does not have such a feature, make sure you press the power button and stop that energy current from continuing.
Screen time
It may seem obvious, but energy use increases as the couch hours tick by in front of the television.
For every hour the television is in standby mode, you waste energy.
Television model and make
LED and Plasma televisions use less energy than LCD televisions, but only some LED models are more efficient than their LCD counterparts.
Certain manufacturers are more eco-friendly conscious, so keep your eye on the options.
Size matters!
We love a huge TV in the living room! The bigger your television screen, the more energy it uses, whether on or in standby mode.
Next time you shop for flatscreens, you can enquire about the television features and make an environmentally friendly purchase.
How Much Energy Does a TV Use in Standby Mode?
The average LCD television consumes up to five watts while on standby mode and between 24 to 50 watts while you are watching. Without having to be an expert on power consumption, all you need to know is standby mode uses energy.
Standby mode wastes energy; if it is in standby mode, you are not benefiting from the screen time either.
If you have a television that shuts down when there is no signal, you can set it to turn itself off after a certain amount of time by using the remote control.
Conclusion: Switch On Your Energy Awareness, and Switch Off Your TV.
Switch your television off if you are not actively using it. Now that you know more about standby mode, you can save energy and money by switching off your television.
Be energy aware: Prolonged standby mode can add up over time, which is why many people choose to either unplug their televisions or use a power strip that allows them to turn off all the devices in their room at once.
Now you know everything you need to know about energy consumption and your favourite pastime appliance: your television. Happy watching!
Jenny Kakoudakis likes to blog about interiors. She launched the award-winning Seasons in Colour in 2014. When she is not chasing criminals out of the financial system (her day job), she gets creative by redecorating her own home.
Download her free bathroom renovation guide here.
