Putting TVs on an Electricity Diet

Perhaps because they feature few mechanical parts, televisions aren't thought of as energy hogs. But watching TV can add between $13 and $145 to your annual electricity bill. TVs account for as much as 4% of the US's total electricity consumption, or 46 billion kilowatt hours per year -- an amount that could reach 70 billion kilowatt hours by 2010.

Large plasma models are among the biggest energy sinks, requiring nearly 0.4 watts per square inch. Adding to the total power consumption are peripherals such as DVD players, and the fact that many TVs operate in a standby mode when not in use... consuming power even when off.

The good news is that TV manufacturers are developing lower-power models that use as little as half the electricity of today's sets. A new generation of LCD and projector sets uses LEDs to lower the electricity load; organic LEDs (OLEDs) may lead to even greater energy savings.

Source: CNET