Surprisingly, up to 75 percent of all electricity used by consumer electronics is while they are in standby mode. Most people assume when they turn off their equipment, it is completely off. In actuality the equipment is in the standby mode, the mode necessary for the use of remote controls, clocks, channel memory, and other features. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has estimated that home electronics in standby mode account for nearly five percent of total residential electricity use. The average home has two TVs, a VCR, DVD player, home stereo and three telephones – all of them using electricity in standby mode.
Everyday Tips
1. Turn off TVs, VCRs, stereos and DVD players when not in use. Though these
products use power in the standby mode, they use less power when they are in
standby mode than when they are on.
2. Unplugging home electronics or turning them off by using a power strip will save significant energy. However, cutting all power to your equipment will erase any channel memory, clock settings or other customized programming.
Selecting/Installing
1. Look for the ENERGY STAR® when
selecting home electronics. ENERGY STAR-qualified products use up to 50 percent
less energy than conventional models while still providing the features consumers
want.
2. ENERGY STAR products are available in the following product categories: