Change the Settings to Save Money!

Just by changing the picture settings of your TV you can reduce your energy bill and save money.  Most LCDLED TVs shipped are factory set with same high brightness and contrast levels to make them jump out at you when viewing them at the electronics store. However, you can still set your Sony brand LCD TVs have a Power Saving setting you can set to OFF, Low, High, and Picture OFF.  So set it to High. It also has a Power Management setting to have the LCD TV save energy when there is no signal is detected saving substantial energy lost to vampire power.

When buying a new HDTV, be sure to look for a green energy LCD TV. The new Energy Star 3.0 ratings standard requires less than 1 watt of power usage when the TV is off and has a algorithm for maximum energy use based on screen size. Look for this mark on any TV or for that matter most electronic devices when you make a purchase.

New, stricter Energy Star 4.0 guidelines went into effect on May 1, 2010. For example, a 50-inch HDTV must burn 153 watts or less to attain the rating, as opposed to the Energy Star 3.0 system, in which a 50-inch set could burn 318 watts and still get the Energy Star logo.

The new specifications also require that sets use less than a single watt when in sleep or standby mode aka “turned off.” This specification greatly reduces the vampire consumption associated with many TVs and other electronic devices.

Although the change in energy consumption is quite dramatic, manufacturers are ready for the switch or have already started manufacturing to these specifications prior to the new date. Already, the 2010 models for Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, and Vizio are Energy Star 4.0 compliant. In 2011 the state of California will not let any HDTV sets be sold without this rating. A new Energy Star 5.0 standard is already in effect for computers and a new one will soon be set for game consoles. For more information on energy star see their site at www.energystar.gov.