Epsom and Ewell Energy Group

TVs and Electricity Consumption

TVs & Electricity Consumption – Which is Best?

Many people are confused when comparing LCD and plasma TVs, and will ask their retailers about clarity of picture, width of viewing etc. But it isn’t often realised that the type of TV you choose can have a big effect on your electricity consumption.

Obviously the consumption also varies between different makes of TV, but compared with the old cathode ray type of TV (CRT), smaller LCD TVs (up to 20” screen) consume on average 10% more electricity. For larger sizes, up to 32” screens, LCDs are on average more economic than CRTs (though, depending on make, some LCDs can use more electricity than the equivalent CRTs).

The real energy-gobblers are plasma TVs. These are usually available only in the larger sizes, but nearly always consume 25%-30% more electricity than an LCD set.

This table gives more details, but you can look up individual TVs on http://www.sust-it.net/energy_saving.php?id=69.

And remember, never leave your TV on stand-by!

May 27, 2008 at 16:57 Leave a comment

Flat Screen TVs – LCD or Plasma

Flat Screen TVs – LCD or Plasma?

Which type of TV is the most energy efficient? Does this have an impact on the quality of the picture?

Are you thinking of buying a flat screen TV?

Do you want to choose the one that has the best picture quality and price but want to make sure that it uses the least amount of energy?

There are many opinions on this debate, and most are centred around the difference between the two main types of flat screen TVs – LCD and Plasma.

Having searched the internet for the opinions of both manufacturer and independent reviewers’ the following links highlight the main ideas.

The Panasonic website highlights one side of the story which is that Plasma and LCD TVs of the same size use a similar amount of power overall.

Panasonic Article Link

“The energy consumption of both is actually about the same in normal operating conditions. An LCD screen consumption is constant whereas with Plasma it fluctuates according to the brightness of a scene, eg when a scene is predominantly dark , a Plasma will use less energy. All in all the energy efficiency evens out for Plasma and LCD.”

Sharp Article Link

The manufacturer Sharp however completely disagrees saying that
“LCD panels consume about half the power of plasma displays.”

Which Article

Overall, the Which website which is an independent organisation that reviews all sorts of product lines from TVs to washing machines says that for
power consumption, LCDs use 50% less power than Plasmas (they used 40-46″ TVs in their test). They make reference to the Panasonic argument but give a valid reason why it doesn’t apply.

They also state that some manufactures like Sharp and Sony have stopped selling Plasma TVs altogether.

Other questions you may have will relate to cost, picture quality and size. Again the Which review states that LCD TVs now rival Plasma screens for size,
picture quality is also similar and costs for both types have come down significantly.

In summary our advice would be buy LCD!

September 22, 2007 at 07:11 Leave a comment

Energy Efficient Appliances

If you are shopping for new appliances or products for the home, choose ones with the Energy Saving Recommended logo, it is a quick and easy way to spot the most energy efficient products on the market. Energy saving products use less energy and therefore have less of an environmental impact, as well as being cheaper to run.

Under the Energy Saving Trust’s ‘Energy Saving Recommended scheme’ only products that meet strict criteria on energy efficiency can carry the logo. The criteria is set by an independent panel and reviewed annually.

You’ll find the Energy Saving Recommended logo on a wide range of products, including insulation, light bulbs and fittings, boilers, heating controls, glazing, air conditioning units, Integrated digital televisions (IDTVs) and kitchen appliances like fridges, freezers, dishwashers, electric ovens and washing machines. Find up-to-date recommended products at

http://www.est.org.uk/myhome/efficientproducts/recommended/index.cfm

or from the Green Consumer Guide at
http://www.greenconsumerguide.com/whitegoods.php

The European Community Energy Label

The EU energy label rates products from A (the best performance), down to G (the worst). For fridges and freezers, the rating now goes up to A++ because of improvements in performance since the original standard was set. The rating is based on European standards (the test cycle used is shown on the label). Using models with ‘A’ ratings for both energy efficiency and performance, together with lower than average water consumption, will save you the most money – as well as being the best for the environment. How much will it cost to run – energy consumption As well as the A – G rating, the label includes other information – the label shown here is for a washing machine, and shows washing performance, spin drying performance, water consumption and noise level. The information shown depends on the appliance it relates to. The label also tells you how much electricity the product uses, in kilowatt hours (kWh). This helps you to compare models; use the kWh figure to see how much electricity and money you might save if you chose a different model.

Actual savings will, of course, depend on how you use the product and how much you pay for your electricity. You can also save money by running washing machines, washer-dryers and dishwashers only when you have a full load, using economy and low temperature settings, and spin-drying clothes well before you tumble dry; by ensuring that fridges and freezers are installed away from cookers and other sources of heat in accordance with the manufacturer’s advice; and by switching off lights when not needed.

By law, the European Community Energy Label must be displayed on all new household products of the following types displayed for sale, hire or hire-purchase:

• Refrigerators, freezers and fridgefreezers
• Washing machines
• Electric tumble dryers
• Combined washer-dryers
• Dishwashers
• Lamps
• Electric ovens
• Air conditioners

The information should also be given in catalogues and included by internet retailers on their websites and in manufacturers’ literature. You should expect to be provided with this information wherever you buy or hire these products.

The most efficient products also carry the Energy Saving Recommended logo.

Buy New or Repair?

There is no easy answer as to whether you should pay out to repair an existing kitchen appliance, or buy a new one. On the one hand, if you repair you will have saved the resources used in producing a new appliance to replace your old one. On the other hand, your old appliance will almost certainly be less efficient than your new one and use more electricity (and water where appropriate) than a new one would.

A difficult choice. Factors to be considered include the cost of repair against the cost of a new appliance, how old your existing one is (the older it is, the less efficient in performance and energy (and water) use), and how much longer you expect your existing appliance to go on working (if it needs costly annual repairs, it’s probably better to replace). If you do buy a new one, make sure your old appliance is disposed of responsibly – the supplier of the new one may take away the old one for a small fee.

New or Used?

Of course, you don’t have to buy a new appliance. If you buy a second-hand one (especially a reconditioned one with a guarantee) you will save the resources used in manufacturing a new one. But then an older appliance is likely to be less efficient and use more resources (electricity, water) in everyday use than a new one.

February 10, 2007 at 13:48 Leave a comment