Calculate Your TV Usage Costs
Buying a TV is an investment. But, operating it comes at a cost not many of us are aware of. Knowing how much electricity your TV uses doesn’t just help you budget. You can also learn how to save money on electricity with good TV habits. Find out how much electricity you use with your TV on and off.
TV Types and Their Electricity Usage
Nowadays, it’s hard to find bulky cathode ray tube sets (CRTs) in Texan homes. But even sleeker modern TVs vary. And the type of TV you have greatly influences the average usage you can expect.
LCD: LCD TVs use liquid crystals to control the pixels on your screen. Popular since the late ’90s, they aren’t just thinner than older CRTs. These mountable TV sets also use less electricity. An average 50” LCD TV would use around 150 Watts.
Plasma: Plasma gas conducts electricity. So, the more energy plasma receives, the more light photons get released by the colliding particles in the gas. While the contrast of plasma displays is higher than those of LCDs, these sets are less energy efficient. This is partly the reason why no company manufactures plasma TVs anymore. You can expect an average 50” plasma TV to use 300 Watts.
LED: Just like energy-efficient LED lightbulbs, LED televisions also use less electricity than other types. LED TVs use a transparent LCD panel and backlight it with LED lights. A 50” LED TV set would use, on average, 100 Watts.
OLED: While LED TVs use ten or fewer “lighting zones,” OLED TVs give each individual pixel its own backlight. This can give the images deeper contrast – resulting in higher-quality images. OLED TVs also have lower power consumption, some as low as 85 Watts for a 50” set.
How Much Electricity Does TV on Standby Use?
Your TV uses electricity even when it’s turned off. If your TV is plugged in, standby mode can use up to 5W. While for some, this is too low to care about, it adds up. Along with other energy vampire household devices, this wasted electricity is ultimately wasted money.
How to Calculate Your Usage Cost
Every TV has different power usage depending on size, make, and model. Some older small sets actually use more than newer big sets.
The best way to find out exactly how much your TV costs is to look up your product specifications on the manufacturer’s website. You can find this information with the model number, which you’ll find on a nameplate on the back of your TV.
Electricity Usage on Example TV
If you have a 65” LG OLED A2 PUA, according to the LG website, it consumes 115W when you’re watching it. On standby, it uses 0.5W. Watching this TV for 4 hours per day and leaving it on standby for the rest of the time would use 0.47 kWh every day.
For customers in Dallas on the Come and Take It 12 plan by Energy Texas, their 0.47 kWh daily TV usage costs them 3.08 cents in energy charge. However, this doesn’t take the base charge, delivery charges, and other fees into account.
Get a Cheaper Electricity Deal
No matter how much electricity your TV uses, the best way to save on electricity is to get a great deal at a low rate. Visit www.texaselectricityratings.com to view the latest plans in your area and choose the best one.