Got a fancy widescreen set? How's your electric bill? (1 Viewer)

[Jack Briggs]

We all love a good widescreen set -- the bigger the better, eh? Well, your electric bill should also be big. To wit, check out this story from the Christian Science Monitor:

Bigscreen TVs Guzzle Electricity the Way SUVs Guzzle Gas

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Oh cripes, here we go again. All I have to say is I noticed no noticable hike in my electric bill when I went from 32" to 56". I'd also like to say that if ELF decides they want to come in my house and spraypaint my widescreen, they'll find a lot more to deal with than an angry Hummer owner.



That, my friends is the jist of the story. Just ask the (former) head of the Sierra Club who petitioned for the preservation of an area of the Pacific North, calling for no more commercial or residential building, right after he built his own estate smack dab in the middle of the land to be preserved.

 

[Craig W]

That's the way it usually goes. Everyone wants new housing, but NIMBY.

 

[John S]

I have a hard time believing it as well.....

Anybody that reads this, that saw an increase in their electric bill by.. well lets just say enough to notice, please post up.

I have been asked about this, and have always asserted it really doesn't make any difference....

They talk about DVD and the VCR too?? give me a break, they don't use enough power to even merrit dillegently turning them off in my opinion.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Perfect example is the proposed wind power project on Nantucket Sound. Rep. Joe Kennedy of RI is the biggest supporter of alternative energy, hydrogen cars, environmental issues, etc., but he vehemently opposes the Nantucket Sound wind power project. Why? Look at his last name and then look where the Kennedy compound is located. That's right, smack dab in the middle of Hyannisport, Cape Cod, located on the Cape side of Nantucket Sound. He'd have to look at windmills from the back porch of his multi-million dollar family compound. His stated reason for opposition? It will harm sea birds. Guess he didn't want the white sides of the mansion being splattered with seagull remains after they've been cuisinarted by the windmills.

But you can be damn sure he'd take away your electricity hogging widescreen...

 

[Steve Schaffer]

My 57" Sony crt based widescreen set uses less electricity than the '86 model 25" set I had in the bedroom up until a month ago. That article is pure bs.

 

[Thomas_A]

I put a surge protector on my tv so it does not use as much electricity now. I did not see any changes









Hope ya know i'm kiddin! bout as good as the subject IMO

 

[Mort Corey]

When my plasma display had a problem last year I saw a decrease of about $25 in my monthly electric bill for the time it was out of service. Granted, there's a ton of variables that may have had this effect so this is not scientific....but neither is the ELF

Anyway, when the display was back in use the bill returned to normal.

Mort

 

[Sami Kallio]

I have a huge CRT front projector and multiple computer servers running at my house. Fly shite compared to the AC that's runnning at these Texas heats, and no wonder when you look at how these houses are built (= no insulation).

 

[Tim Jin]

I recently upgraded from a CRT 19" monitor to a LCD 20" monitor. I am waiting to get my bill, but I also got a new computer which is a lot more smaller and quieter. I think the new computer will have more of an impact then my 47" RPTV on my bill.

Once I heard on the news, that you should unplugged your appliances if you are away.

Do I really want to unplug my refrigerator each time I'm away???

I noticed that most Plasmas give out a lot of heat too.

 

[raymond caputo]

my opinion is very simple: bottom line if you can't afford a small hike in your electric bill then you can't afford a big screen tv....another option is to throw away your wifes hair dryer!!

 

[Arthur S]

Gee, my Toshiba 65H84 is rated as 185 watts. That is down there with a 32 inch LCD and below a 32 inch CRT.

 

[Iver]

After gettting fed up with my monthly Con Edison bloodletting, I have just two words for you'all: energy-saving lightbulbs. You can find them at dollar stores for, yep, a dollar. Ikea has a three-pack of 11-watt numbers (supposed to throw off equivalent of 60-watt incandescent, but I'd say it's more like 40) for $6.00.

Also nice, for reading, are halogen spotlights. They're much closer to daylight temperature than incandescents, much more pleasant light quality. Ikea has a nice little basic black stand-mounted number with a 20-watt bulb, total consumption of the transformer is 25 watts (that's the drawback of halogens -- they require a DC source which in itself is less efficient, but only slightly so).

Plus, remember to defrost your refrigerator frequently.

On the subject of HT power consumption, two points:

1) DVD players consumer close to zero watts

2) It would be nice if mfgrs of receivers, TV's, and the like could give you some number between "standby" (typically one watt) and the maximal number. It would be handy to get a sense of what the unit actually burns on an average basis.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

My God yes, and whats with the window fetish? You think the new house will be unable to support human life if the guest bathroom doesn't have 600 square inches of window in it.


Now if you'll excuse me, the bats need feeding.......