Giant Plasma TVs May Be Banned
Jan 14
New rules being implemented by the government will see large plasma TVs being banned for consuming too much energy. Ministers have labelled large plasma screens the “4×4s of the living room” and as part of the battle against climate change, models that fail to meet newer, more stringent energy guidelines will be banned in the UK. New minimum energy standards are expected to be agreed by the EU this spring. This latest energy-conscious decision follows hot on the heels of the recent withdrawal of 100W bulbs - which led to a mad sales surge. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said last week: “In the past five years we have seen the main television in a household change from typically being a 24in to 32in CRT television to being a much larger flatscreen television, with screen sizes of between 32 and 42 inches becoming more and more common. Not surprisingly, this has seen the energy used by the main television in the house increase.”According to the Independent on Sunday a 42in plasma can consume up to 822 kilowatt hours a year, compared to 350kWh by an LCD flat screen of the same size. A 32in CRT would consume around 322kWh. There’s already a minimum standard in place for how much power TVs consume in standby mode but the new regulations will apply an energy ratings system to TVs, similar to what’s used on white goods like fridges. The new ratings will help force TV makers to accelerate the production of more economical TVs, which is not really a bad thing. It should be pointed out that many newer plasma TVs are more energy efficient than ‘the average’ and that the Energy Police will not be kicking down the door of your living to confiscate your old power guzzling plasma.-Martin Lynch [Source] TV plasma energy
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