Look For New "Energy Star" TV Standards

Photo: Alex Gumerov / Istock

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Green consumers know to look for the "Energy Star" label when buying major appliances. The government rating system is a reliable way to choose the more energy-efficient equipment.

Starting this November, the Energy Star labels on televisions will be upgraded from the 1998 standards, and will then signify models that are 30% more efficient than "conventional" model. The new standards will account not only for the energy used while the television is running, but also how much it drains while "off."

It's a little known fact that major electronic devices drain energy while turned off. Those who can remember older model televisions will recall that there used to be a fizzle and fade-in while the picture came into being. Newer models eliminated that by remaining in a standby mode; that requires electricity.

The Wall Street Journal recently published this amazing fact: "A 42-inch plasma set can consume more electricity than a full-size refrigerator – even when that TV is used only a few hours a day."

For those keeping score at home, the refrigerator is (or was) the appliance that demands the most electricity. That new TV might cost $200 per year, according to the Journal estimate.

"Energy Star's new specifications for televisions are turning the channel on energy guzzling sets – making them go the way of rabbit-ears and the black and white TV," said Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.

At least, conscientious consumers will know ahead of time if their favorite TV will cost them more per month than it does at the electronics store. The EPA estimates that Americans are wasting $1 billion annually running TV's that don't meet the new Energy Star standards. Of course, they didn't put it in that way:

"After the new specification goes into effect," according to the EPA, "if all TVs sold in the United States meet the Energy Star requirements, the savings in energy costs will grow to about $1 billion annually and greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by the equivalent of about 1 million cars."

The energy consumed by televisions is emblematic of the modern American household, and its drain on the electric grid. Americans have more than 275 million television sets, and will buy close to 36 million more in 2008, according to market research quoted by the EPA. These televisions are larger and are situated in more rooms of more homes. They come with more features (CNN touted its Super Tuesday election coverage in HD!). And we watch more television than ever before. That means more electricity, which means more coal burned, more pollution, more global warming ...

To learn more about Energy Star standards before you replace that television that just can't be repaired (or whatever your reason), visit the Energy Star Web site.

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