While it's true that we waste plenty of electricity each year just so our electronics are ready to go when we are, we think it's worth it. TV Snob pointed us towards an article in
Good Magazine which indicated that a Plasma TV was the worst offender -- and by a large margin -- but the math doesn't jive with ours. According to the article, leaving a plasma plugged in all year will cost you about $150, which seems crazy. So we grabbed a Kill-o-watt and hooked it up to a 60-inch Pioneer Kuro while it was off, and measured a 20 watt draw. Now we didn't major in math or anything, but according to our calculations that is only about $20 a year, (20 watts * 8760 hours / 1000 * $.11) not $150. In fact even if we actually used the TV for eight hours a day, at about 500 watts, it'd still only cost us $170 (including the standby draw). Either way, we're glad they got us thinking about how much power we're using, but at $20 a month to watch HD, as far as we're concerned, it is money/power well spent .
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Greg @ Jul 29th 2008 6:19PM
Money VERY well spent. I can't even look at SD channels.
ds @ Jul 30th 2008 1:51PM
http://www.tvsnob.com/archives/020643.php
Sorry but I wanted to put this up top.
TVSnob has a new story about your story about their story about GOOD magazine's story. Apparently your story made them realize they were writing stuff that made no sense. They claim the numbers were off because the mag used 2005 model TVs which is still a bit crazy imo. I have a samsung and panny plasma from 05 and 06 and my standy draws are still nowhere near the numbers that magazine printed.
DrXym @ Jul 29th 2008 7:07PM
Computers and other consumer electronics should be required by law to display an energy rating. Europe already requires an energy rating on things like cookers & fridges but not TVs. People might start caring more if the costs and the power consumption in standby and power on were made clear before they bought.
DenverBob @ Jul 29th 2008 7:38PM
I don't know. It seems to me these companies should be looking for a way to create instant-on TVs that don't draw any electric when off.
Because if we begin to multiply, say, $5 per television in America alone, holy bejesits! And that's just for money. How many thousands if not millions of barrels of oil did that take?
Maybe we should stop asking how much it cost in dollars. Maybe we should quantify the cost in the number of troops who paid for our amusement boxes with their lives and/or limbs?
I'd love to see that dial on gas station pumps, too. Your fill-up cost $65 and .05 limbs of a US soldier. 20 fill-ups = 1 arm.
I'd also love to see the boxes that hold the guts of these devices incorporate nanosolar powersheet technology (http://www.popsci.com/popsci/flat/bown/2007/green/item_59.html). They could them be built to pull some measure of energy from all sorts of light sources. How about turning the average satellite dish into a solar collector, too, using this technology?
Just a few rambling thoughts.
Makes sense to me.
James Zane @ Jul 29th 2008 8:36PM
Are you serious DenverBob?
First off it shouldn't be measured in barrels of oil, it should be measured in tons of coal.
Last time I checked our government didn't invade any countries under the pretence of spreading democracy, but really as a coal grab. We have plenty of coal right here in the USA. And that's where most of our electricity comes from.
You're ridiculous.
Spiza @ Jul 29th 2008 9:29PM
Maybe the screen was so dark, they simply thought it was off.
Also, many of the older Commercial plasmas had a standby on and then fully on. They probably suck some power, but they were made to be on all the time. Without them actually giving what was tested, its a wasted test. I could say coupes in general get bad gas mileage as well if I just used some sports car that gets under 10mpg, but we all know that is not true.
MadADHD @ Jul 30th 2008 12:12AM
FYI: Not one barrel of oil goes toward the production of electricity. Electricity is entirely produced from gas, coal, hydro, and nuclear. Almost all oil goes towards transportation.
Big Wizz @ Jul 30th 2008 9:32AM
@MadADHD,
Not true. Oil made up 2% in 2006. I even gave you a kids link so you could understand it easier.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/infocardnew.html#ELECTRICITY
Moaner @ Jul 29th 2008 8:22PM
I'm with DenverBob. My samsung lcd now three years old draws exactly the same amount of power as the test plasma while off!. Which really sucked as I discovered this only after purchasing.
I love the picture but it constantly sits in my mind that all that power is simply wasted while not watching. And on Long Island with rates over 20 cent/kw it adds up which factored significantly in my choice of plasma over lcd.
When comes time to replace this box I will be considering standby draw as part of the purchase decision.
Marshall @ Jul 29th 2008 9:39PM
Here's a comparison I did on power consumption for a variety of HT devices (Kill-a-watts are fun) a while back. Apparently my entire home theater uses less energy than Ben's Plasma.
http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/general-discussion/9028-power-consumption-av-equipment-how-much-does-cost-run-these-things.html
Marshall
The Real HT Info Podcast
sn1per @ Jul 29th 2008 9:42PM
"at $20 a month to watch HD, as far as we're concerned, it is money/power well spent."
Of course, once you add that to the $40-50 a month you're already paying for the signal....
TrentD @ Jul 30th 2008 9:28AM
That was a misprint - he meant $20 a year.
Ben @ Jul 30th 2008 9:29AM
Actually I didn't.
It is $20 a year to leave my TV plugged in all the time in standby mode. But since I use my TV and other equipment, I figure it costs me $20 a month in Electricity.
TrentD @ Jul 30th 2008 9:30AM
Gotcha - I thought you were referring again to the $20 per year plasma estimate.
BongNpinoy @ Jul 29th 2008 10:24PM
That's still power being wasted.... just turn off the power switch when not in use.
Jeebus @ Jul 30th 2008 1:04PM
But then again, why bother?
scottM @ Jul 29th 2008 10:47PM
If they would include a small battery in the tv, then you could turn off a power strip when you weren't watching and not lose all your settings. Every time I unplug my plasma, all my tuner settings and video setup are lost.
I might be tempted to unplug if I didn't have to go through the annoying setup every time.
ds @ Jul 30th 2008 1:32PM
A battery could definitely get the job done. The only issue would be manufacturers really have no incentive to add something that has a limited lifespan.
Also, would the battery power the IR in the TV or just keep the settings saved? They could advertise the power savings, but if it does not power the IR, I think people would be too annoyed by the inconvenience of having to manually power the thing on to appreciate the dollar or two they would save each month.
Sean @ Aug 17th 2008 8:16PM
Oh yeah, because batteries get their power out of thin air. A battery will actually use MORE energy than if you didnt unplug your device in the first place because charging a batter is never 100% efficient. All these armchair greenies think they know how to save the planet. Why dont you fight a fight that might actually make a difference... like timing traffic lights so that we dont have to stop every block. Imagine the fuel savings. This piddly 25 cents per year energy savings from unplugging standby devices is pathetic in comparison.
TrentD @ Jul 30th 2008 9:24AM
You guys do understand that "Standby" modes are required in order to allow remote turn-on of your television, right?
Without a standby mode, the IR sensor on your TV wouldn't work, so you'd have to manually power the television on or off every time you used it, and do so AT the TV, not from your remote.
The "Vampire Power" lobby is ridiculous, because the very reason standby modes were created was to avoid people leaving things ON all the time. People are not going to "hard power" their remote-operated electronics every time - they'll just leave the stuff on all the time, greatly increasing power consumption.
Standby modes, while they do consume power, prevent much greater power consumption from items left on all day.
TrentD @ Jul 30th 2008 9:36AM
That said, potentially a built-in battery would allow for some of that turn-on functionality - I'm not sure what other purposes standby serves. Maybe quicker turn-on?
Pingmeister @ Jul 30th 2008 11:21AM
Am I the only one who has my entertainment system on Power Strips?
This seems like a crazy discussion!
ds @ Jul 30th 2008 1:24PM
Your post seems crazy. This conversation is not.
David S @ Jul 30th 2008 1:51PM
Every time I've unplugged my plasma, I lost all memory settings for the Custom display modes. Which isn't a big deal because I just change it back to THX and I'm done with it. The receiver on the other hand, where I've measured out speaker levels and distance, is a whole 'nother level. I'll just pay a little more per month in electricity and will politely listen to some green charity that will tell me I'm a bad person for having a plasma and a home theater system. They'll feel better that they get to feel superior, and I get my HD. Everyone wins!
allenvanhellen @ Jul 30th 2008 2:15PM
I want by the entry door a switch that will cut power to almost every outlet in the home (a few outlets would be always-on for things like alarm clocks or maybe the computer). That way, when I'm not at home, I'm wasting no electricity, money, or resources.
ds @ Jul 31st 2008 11:26AM
Seems to me a very lazy thing to do. Would you then have to keep track of each specific outlet in the house to know where you can plug in things like clocks, dvrs, microwaves, ovens, pcs, alarm systems, a/c units? Also make sure you put a large sign near the switch because it will be terrible on every electronic device in your home when someone hits the wrong switch and your house goes black.
Just put a bit of money in to a Kill-a-Watt and some thought into what you leave on.
md @ Jul 31st 2008 4:01PM
You're talking about a "Green switch".
http://www.wisebread.com/green-switch-for-green-savings
Or you could spend way less and get one of these.
http://stores.channeladvisor.com/Digitalet/items/item.aspx?itemid=946930
Kill-A-Watts are fantastic too.
NYBell23 @ Aug 17th 2008 5:48PM
@allenvanhellen Don't you think having a "green switch" in your house could be dangerous? Wait till someone breaks in and just has to flip a switch to turn off the power to your whole house!
fox-orian @ Aug 18th 2008 2:36AM
Actually, if I ever build myself a house, I'm going to do that. Except I'm going to make it like one of those red EMERGENCY STOP buttons [black/yellow stripes and everything] underneath a lockable shield. I think that would make sense. Come home, unlock it, turn it on, lock it again. Maybe even a small set of breakers to control which outlets actually become disabled. Not really a bad idea!