Home Electronics
Save Money and Energy with Energy Efficient Home Electronics Home electronics are responsible for 15% of household electricity use. This is not only when they are in use but, when they are in stand-by or off modes too. An average home has 40 products continuously using power and that number is sure to grow with new advances in technology. Make sure you look for the ENERGY STAR label when purchasing home electronic products. You’ll also be helping to prevent global warming and promote cleaner air without sacrificing the product quality and performance you expect. For more information on specific home electronic products, including possible incentives, select the desired product from the list below. Also visit the Virtual Open House to build your own virtual living room and see how the choices you make can go a long way with energy savings.
Did you know that you could recycle your old electronics? This helps the environment by not only keeping these products out of landfills, but it also saves on the energy needed to produce products made from recycled materials! Go to epa.gov/recycling to learn how to safely recycle electronic products in your area.
Televisions
DVD Players
Power Strips
TV Combination
Audio Units
Televisions
ENERGY STAR qualified televisions help you save energy and money, while protecting the environment, and without sacrificing features or quality. You can find the ENERGY STAR qualification on every type of TV from standard TVs, to HD-ready TVs, to flat-screen TVs. When purchasing a television, the type and screen size can have a major effect on your energy use:
- Always look for the ENERGY STAR label to save energy when in use but also in standby modes
- For every 10 inches you increase your screen size, the TV will use between 50-70% more energy, so bigger isn’t always better.
- Although all types of size and screen technologies can be ENERGY STAR qualified and save on energy use, LCD TVs generally use about 30% less energy than plasma TVs.
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DVD Players
ENERGY STAR qualified DVD players can save you energy and money, and come with the latest features including progressive scan. When replacing a DVD player, look for models with ENERGY STAR to save even when shut off, in fact ENERGY STAR qualified DVD products use as little as one quarter of the energy used by standard models when in use.
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Power Management
Most electronic products still use electricity when they are turned off, which is called phantom energy use. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 75% of energy used by electronics is consumed when electronics are turned off, or through phantom energy. To reduce this consumption, plug home electronics into a power strip and manually turn off the power strip after each use.
Even better, purchase and use an advanced power strip -- they function much like regular power strips except they include 3 distinct plug categories. The first plug type acts as the control and master plug, usually for your TV or computer’s CPU. The second plug type is for your peripherals, such as audio/DVD or computer monitors/printers, and is automatically turned off when the control plug has been shot off or is inactive from the sleep mode on your computer. The third plug type remains constantly active for those products needing constant power such as cable boxes or modems.
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TV Combination Units
In most homes, television sets are accompanied by several different home entertainment items like VCR’s, DVD players, and surround sound systems. Combination units that have a TV and DVD player save space, simplify set-up, require fewer cables, are more portable, use fewer remotes, and usually consume less energy in standby mode than separate components. So when buying a combination unit, make sure its ENERGY STAR qualified as they use 35% less energy than standard units.
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Audio Products
ENERGY STAR qualified audio products can use up to 90% less energy than standard models when turned off. You’ll save energy and money, while still having the latest features available and high sound quality. Remember to turn off all components when not in use, including CD players, receivers, and speakers.
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