Big screen televisions, home theater set-ups, DVD players, digital video recorders, video game systems, stereo systems, battery chargers, cordless phones… Every year we seem to add more electronic “toys” to our homes.

It’s important to be aware of the impact home electronics can have on your energy bills and what you can do to save.

Operation tips
Turn off equipment.
Don’t leave electronics on when you’re not using them.

Unplug to really save energy.
Even in the “off” mode, electronics still draw power. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that, in the average home, 40 percent of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. Your television is really in a “standby” or “quick start” mode, ready to respond instantly to the remote. Other electronics use power to keep the LED lights glowing. Some equipment may need to be reprogrammed if you unplug it, so weigh the energy savings against convenience in those cases.

Turn off at the strip.
Ideally, you should have your electronics plugged into a surge protector strip (which offers protection from surge damage, unlike a standard plug strip). If so, you can eliminate “phantom loads” by unplugging the surge protector after you turn off your equipment. But be aware that for certain electronics, such as digital video recorders, this may require reprogramming, so you may not want to do this unless you’re going to be away for a couple of weeks.

Unplug battery chargers as soon as charging is complete.
Battery chargers left plugged in after your cell phone or other device is fully charged are sometimes called “energy vampires” because they are silently sucking energy and raising your bill.

Lower the brightness setting on your television.
If you buy a new television, when you first take it out of the box, it’s probably on the maximum brightness setting. This wastes energy and fails to deliver the best picture.

Shop for energy savings
Big screens can bring bigger bills.
New, big-screen televisions use more power than the smaller, traditional cathode ray tube televisions they are replacing. In fact, some of the larger big-screen plasma televisions can consume as much energy each year as a new refrigerator.

Opt for LCD or rear-projection over plasma.
LCD and rear-projection (often referred to as DLP in the stores) televisions are generally more energy-efficient than plasma models. But manufacturers are working to increase energy efficiency, so compare energy use information for different models before making a purchase. Check the power consumption comparisons for 128 HDtelevisions at the CNET website. You can also use the appliance calculator in the PGE Home Energy Analyzer to figure the cost to operate some sizes of different types of televisions.

Choose ENERGY STAR®.
To make sure you are buying products that meet strict energy-efficiency guidelines, choose ENERGY STAR certified home electronics.

Look for a television that meets ENERGY STAR standards.
Televisions manufactured after Nov. 2008 bearing the ENERGY STAR label are up to 30 percent more efficient than standard models in both stand-by and active modes (the rating used to just reflect active modes). Some manufacturers began releasing televisions that met the tougher standards before Nov. 2008. To make sure you’re buying a television that meets the new standards, check the list of qualifying televisions on the ENERGY STAR website.