Take the Energy Grinch Out of Home Electronic Gifts

Washington, DC () - Home electronics are a popular gift idea every holiday season.  But their electricity use—even when they’re turned ‘off’—can really add up.  To help you play Santa, without putting the Grinch in your friends’ or family’s monthly electric bill, the nation’s electric utility companies are offering energy-saving advice to help you make smart choices about home electronics.

“All the electronic devices plugged into the typical home—high definition TVs, video game consoles, cable boxes, DVDs, along with computers, printers, and battery chargers—now account for about one third of the monthly electric bill, said Diane Munns, Edison Electric Institute’s Executive Director, Retail Energy Services.

“TVs in particular can use a lot of electricity,” said Munns.  “For example, a big-screen plasma TV can use three-, four-, or even five-times more electricity than an older cathode ray tube TV.  If you are considering a big screen TV, check out an LCD TV.  An LCD TV can use up to three times less power than a comparable-size plasma TV.”

When shopping for a new piece of electronic equipment, you can find energy-efficient models by looking for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR™ label.

“For instance,” said Munns, “an ENERGY STAR™ qualified TV uses about 30 percent less energy than one without the rating.  And an ENERGY STAR™ computer uses about 70 percent less electricity than other computers.” 

What is most surprising, however, is how much electricity electronic gadgets can eat up even when you think they’re turned off.  “The EPA has found that up to 40 percent of all electricity used to power home electronics is used while the products are turned off but still plugged in,” said Munns.

“Another advantage of an ENERGY STAR™ computer is that it enters a low-power mode when not in use,” said Munns.  “During this period, their power use drops down to 15 watts or less.  Spending a large portion of time in low-power mode not only saves energy, but helps the equipment to run cooler and last longer.”

To find out which products are always ‘on’, look to see if it has one or more of the following:

• A remote control
• A continuous digital display (e.g., clock or blinking lights)
• A rechargeable batter (e.g., cell phone or hand tool)

A simple tip for saving energy on electronics that you use in groups, such as computers and printers, or DVD/VCR players and TVs, is to plug them into a multi-outlet power strip.  You can then shut the power off to all of the appliances with one flip of the power strip’s on-off switch.  You may want check the owner’s manual to make sure that you don’t lose programming memory or need to reset clocks before you take this action. 

For more information about ENERGY STAR™ certified home electronics, please visit www.energystar.gov.  For a free booklet, “More than 100 Ways to Improve Your Electric Bill”, as well as information about making your entire home more energy efficient, please visit www.eei.org/wiseuse.  And for more information on electricity and energy efficiency, please visit www.getenergyactive.org.

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The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is the association of U.S. shareholder-owned electric companies. Our members serve 95 percent of the ultimate customers in the shareholder-owned segment of the industry, and represent approximately 70 percent of the U.S. electric power industry. We also have more than 65 International electric companies as Affiliate members, and more than 170 industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate members.