New Energy Star® Specification For TVs

MEDIA RELEASE

30 October 2008

New Energy Star® Specification For TVs

Choosing the most energy efficient television on the market just got easier with the introduction of a new international ENERGY STAR® specification from 1 November.

This is good news for New Zealandconsumers because home entertainment products now account for a fair chunk of our household power bills and televisions are fast becoming one of the biggest electricity guzzling home appliances. For example, a large (60-inch) flat-screen non-ENERGY STAR television can use three-times as much power as a standard family-sized (300L) fridge-freezer.

The new ENERGY STAR specification for televisions covers “operational” and “standby” modes, providing consumers with an accurate indication of the total energy efficiency performance of a television.

“New Zealanders know that watching too much TV is bad for our health, but some televisions available here are also bad for the health of our pockets and our environment because they use so much power,” says Terry Collins, Products Manager for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) who administer and promote the ENERGY STAR programme in New Zealand.

Televisions are New Zealand’s most common home appliance with around 2.9 million nationwide and averaging two per household. A 42-inch non-ENERGY STAR television can consume 250-350W of power per hour. When operational for eight hours a day and left in standby, this costs around $145-$200 a year on the power bill. Under the new specification, a 42-inch ENERGY STAR television would save on average between $25-$80 a year.

“Basically the bigger the TV, the more light they use to display the picture and the more energy is required to do this,” explains Terry. “The ENERGY STAR specification is like a ‘fitness test’ that only the most energy efficient televisions will pass in order to display the blue ENERGY STAR mark. And purchasing an energy efficient model doesn’t mean having to compromise on any of the latest features that many of us want. It means we are smarter about our choice and how we use it.”

ENERGY STAR is an international labeling programme that identifies the most energy efficient products including consumer electronics, home appliances and office equipment. ENERGY STAR product categories are added to and criteria upgraded at regular intervals to keep up with technology advancements. Other products that carry the ENERGY STAR mark in New Zealandinclude dishwashers, washing machines, fridges and freezers, heat pumps, DVD players, home theatre systems, computers and office equipment.

For more information on ENERGY STAR qualified products, consumers can ask retail sales staff or go to www.energystar.govt.nz.

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