An electronic device giving off heat is wasting energy and feeding your electric bill. Especially as the screens get bigger and brighter that has become a factor to consider in our present economy.

A recent study shows that about 10% of energy used in a home is for powering the televisions. You can make the calculation and see it adds up to quite a few dollars a year.

The major manufacturers of flat-screens have come up with new models to solve this problem.

The newest “eco LCD TV” from Sharp, the Aquos D series,  feel quite cool when you touch them.

Sony came out with the new Bravia VE5 models and claims a 40% reduction in electric consumption because they have:

• a new type of backlight
• a motion sensor that turns it off when nobody is in the room
• a light sensor to adapt to ambient light
• an easy OFF switch, not just standby mode

Panasonic is the market leader in plasma TVs and is also following this eco-televison trend. Their newest line , the Viera V series is using 48% less power than the earlier generation.

In the coming years we can expect more eco friendly TV sets with OLED-screen, which do not use backlighting and laser technology which will be even more energy conserving.

The prices of LCD and plasma TVs have been declining for the past few years and will continue to do so. Especially in the current economic climate where consumers are more reluctant to buy high ticket items, it remains to be seen if this move by the manufacturers will be succesful.

When buying a new TV set you should not only look at the ticket price but you should also consider the energy cost over the lifetime of the TV. You could be saving money with the more expensive green TV and feel less guilty on top.