If you’re considering buying a new TV, you may want to wait until May 2010–that’s when the newest Energy Star ratings for televisions go into effect. In an age of super-powered TVs, where just plugging in a flat-screen model can cost $200 a year, the new Energy Star-qualified televisions will be easier on your electric bill–an important factor considering there about 275 million TVs in America consuming 4 percent of all households’ electricity use.
Televisions that meet the new standards will save consumers anywhere from 40 to 65 percent in electricity consumption, depending on what Energy Star-qualified version it is. (Version 4.0, which hits shelves next May, represents the lower end of that spectrum while Version 5.0-qualified TVs, which won’t be around until May 2012, represent the higher end). Currently, Energy Star-qualified televisions are only 30 percent more efficient than TVs that don’t make the cut.
Old standards required televisions to only consume one watt of energy when turned off, but new standards also look at how much energy the television consumes when turned on. The new requirements establish “On Mode” power consumption levels and ensures that the television is tested and qualified in the mode in which its energy consumption was measured so that consumers can actually see the improved energy efficiency.
To find an Energy Star-qualified television, visit the Energy Star website.
More about Energy Star
• Find out how you can get rebates on Energy-Star qualified home appliances.
• This Energy Star online tool will help you reduce energy costs based on ZIP code and home information.
• This Energy Star suburban New York home emits almost no carbon.