In today’s technologically advanced world, TVs are now made bigger than ever before. This can leave you wondering how much energy it takes to power these bigger and brighter TVs.
There is really no way to answer this question, as it depends largely on the technology being used (for example, LED, LCD, or plasma), the size of the screen, and picture brightness. If you want to cut your power consumption, but you are concerned about the TV not being bright enough, there are workaround solutions. For example, try getting a white gloss TV stand with LED lights to offset any difference in brightness.
If you are concerned about the amount of power your TV is using, especially if you use it a lot, there are some things you can do to reduce TV power consumption.
We have six easy ways that take no time at all to reduce TV power consumption:
1. Use the TV’s Ambient Light Sensor
TVs come programmed with factory settings, but these are never the most energy-efficient settings. That’s why it’s a great habit to get into going through the settings of your TV once you purchase it so you can program the TV to be the way you want it.
A lot of the newer TV models these days come with an ambient light sensor that controls the brightness of the picture on your TV. Take advantage of this setting by ensuring that it is on at all times.
This feature has a light sensor that works by detecting the amount of light in the room and automatically adjusting the brightness so that it is never brighter than what you need. This works by making the screen less bright, thus using less power.
2. Make Use of the TV’s Blank Screen Function
In order to reduce TV power consumption, the blank screen function is going to be a great help. A lot of the TVs made today allow you to listen to the TV with the picture off. This is good if you’re doing things around your home (cleaning, taking care of kids, etc.) and just want to make use of the sound.
If you leave your TV on throughout the day so there’s some noise in the house for your pets, you can make good use of this function.
It’s really a waste of energy to leave the picture on if you’re not watching, so make use of this function whenever you can.
3. Use a Power Bar to Shut off the TV
You may think that when you power down your TV by pressing the power button, that the TV is now off and not consuming any power. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
To avoid wasting power and having your TV consume power when it’s off, plug your TV into a power bar. This way, when you’re not using your TV, you can flip the switch on the power bar to off, ensuring that your TV is no longer running.
4. Switch Your TV to Energy-Saving Mode
In your TV’s settings, you can switch it to energy-saving mode. This functionality works by dimming the backlight of your TV. This should reduce your TV’s power consumption by about a third.
Keep in mind that you will have to switch your TV back to its regular settings once it’s dark in the room, but this is a great solution to reduce power consumption during the day.
5. Keep Energy in Mind When Purchasing a New TV
Are you in the market for a new TV? There are a few things you can do while shopping for a new TV to make sure it uses less power and is more energy-efficient right off the bat.
First, consider the size and type of screen the TV you’re choosing has. For example, an energy-efficient 32-inch LCD TV will typically consume about half of the power of a TV with a 42-inch plasma screen.
This means the smaller the TV you choose, the less power it will consume. Keep in mind that other factors like the type of TV and its age also plays a part in how energy-efficient the TV is.
Second, be sure to look for the “energy-saving Trust recommended” label when purchasing a new TV. This ensures that you’re buying a TV that is already optimized with energy-saving features, without you having to play around with the settings.
6. Switch to Standby Mode
A lot of the newer TVs being made these days have an improved standby efficiency. This means that in most new TVs, energy usage is below 1 watt.
Switching your TV to standby mode will definitely help you reduce power consumption, but the best way to do this is to switch your TV off completely (using a power bar preferably).
A few more easy things you can do include making use of the sleep timer, using the power save mode, watching at a lower volume, and turning it off during commercials.
Using one or all of these features will dramatically reduce the power consumption of your TV. Chances are you have more than one TV in your home, so be sure to do this on all of your TVs. It’s also a good idea to educate other members of your household so they don’t play around with the new settings of the TV.
