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Before you buy that big screen TV, check this out The Consumer Electronics Association is estimating that $160 billion will be spent on consumer electronics in 2008, with about 30 percent of all home entertainment sales occurringetween October and December. The upcoming Christmas season is a favorite time of the year to make that big purchase. If you are considering a big screen television you may want to take the time to ask the retail store where you plan to make the purchase just how much it costs to operate when the television is on and more importantly how much it costs to operate when it is turned off. There is one 65-inch LCD television model that uses 76 watts of electricity when it’s turned off. If you had this television turned “off” for a month, it would still cost you $4.92 cents for the unit just to sit there. “It’s just like having a 76-watt light bulb on 24 hours a day for 30 days,” said Steve Shoot, FEC Manager of Member Services. HDTVs have larger screens, which require more energy. Video game consoles and personal computers now have more powerful processors. And don’t forget, there have been more cordless telephones added to homes, as well. And one more thing...How many cell phone chargers do you have plugged in 24 hours a day at your house? You may wish to consider placing strip outlets in various locations where you have appliances. In this way, when the television is not in use, just turn off the strip and you automatically save money...every day. Consumer electronics now account for about 11-15 percent of the overall monthly residential use and much of this expense is occurring when the unit is not operating. It is important to see if the appliance is an Energy Star rated unit. Energy Star specifications were tightened in July of 2007. A number of models now use significantly less energy when they are in their “standby or sleep modes.” Take the time to do a little “investigative shopping” and it will save you money every day of the year. Now that is a special gift. |
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