Save Energy Costs on Home Entertainment Systems

Nowadays, most homes are equipped with an Entertainment unit, home theatre system, smartphones and an Xbox or Wii. These devices help achieve more connectivity and entertainment. Unfortunately, these devices also have a huge impact on power consumption. What can you do?

Use these tips to save energy costs on the entertainment system at home.

TELEVISIONS

Television is one of the major energy sucking appliances we have. In fact, 1 out of 4 Australians purchase a new television each year. As a result, our country is one of the largest electricity consumers in the world.Television is the centerpiece of home entertainment. So, it’s a good idea to spend some time on reading energy tips.

Make sure it suits the budget, but must meet the home entertainment needs.

Factors to be considered in buying

• Make a checklist to be considered before purchasing a new TV. The list should include, screen size, picture and sound quality, features, brand, ease and range of use. Do not forget the type of technology and its energy efficiency too. All factors depend on home entertainment needs.
• Consider smaller screen size television because it consumes less energy.
• Use Energy Rating Label website to check which brand and model is the most energy efficient.

3 Things that affect power usage

1. Technology type – the light source used to produce the picture. New LCD TV is more efficient compared to Plasma. However, OLED is the most energy efficient but not widely used.
2. Screen Size – the bigger the screen the greater the energy consumption.
3. Picture Brightness – the brighter the output, the more power consumed.

Energy efficient TV

• Switch off the TV and all devices connected like DVD and speakers when not in use.
• Avoid standby power mode because it still consumes energy.
• Find out other ways of entertainment which consume less energy such as listening to radio.
• Use televisions with built-in speaker instead of standard speaker that also consume energy.
• Turn on power saver mode.

GAME CONSOLES

The Xbox One and other gaming consoles use a large amount of energy. Switching it off when not in use could save up to $193 a year – enough money to buy new games. The way of using game consoles may significantly lower the energy costs.  Consider these energy tips.

Turn“off”habit

This is the most common energy trick to save energy on any device. Turn off all gaming consoles when not in use. When taking a break, use standby mode. This can save some energy instead of leaving it on and draw full power.

Activate AUTO features

It’s always recommended to keep gaming consoles on Auto power saving when left idle. Activate sleep mode or auto-off mode after 15-60 minutes of inactivity. If the gaming consoles don’t have these features, search and download software online.

Use gaming consoles properly

Do not use consoles on watching movies.  It uses over 3 times as much energy than using a stand-alone one. Instead, use standalone Blue-ray or DVD player.

Maintain cooling mechanism

Gaming consoles tend to heat up when over used. By cleaning them regularly, it helps to maintain the system performance and increase its lifespan.  It’s safe to say that Australia ranks as one of the largest consumers of electricity in the world.

HOME THEATER SYSTEM

On purchasing home theater system, regardless of the budget, do some research which suit your home theater needs. Costlier systems include extra devices which may not be needed. In addition to this, consider entertainment components with energy star® mark. These products are more energy efficient.

MOBILE PHONES

Smartphones help us to stay connected and in touched with our loved ones. Unfortunately, it needs to charge up every day. Here are simple tips to help reduce energy use of mobile phones.

• Reduce screen brightness and turn off animated wallpaper. It is also the main reason of power drain.
• Turn off special features like Bluetooth and GPS. Set GPS to auto-mode so it enables only when needed.
• Follow the manufacturer’s guide on charging mobile phones for a long run battery lifespan.
• Keep out mobile phones from the sun, hot car or any hot surface. Heat degrades battery’s performance.
• Uninstall applications which are not needed. The more application it has, the more power it consumes.

Improving energy efficiency at home surely saves some money on energy bills. However, switching retailer lowers energy rates which reduce overall energy consumption.

Switch at Econnex.

TV, Xbox, home theater systems and smartphones are some technologies that make us feel the modern life. These devices help achieve more connectivity and entertainment. Unfortunately, these devices also have a huge impact on power consumption. What can you do?

Use these tips to save energy costs on the entertainment system at home.

TELEVISIONS

Television is one of the major energy sucking appliances we have. In fact, 1 out of 4 Australians purchase a new television each year. As a result, our country is one of the largest electricity consumers in the world.Television is the centerpiece of home entertainment. So, it’s a good idea to spend some time on reading energy tips.

Make sure it suits the budget, but must meet the home entertainment needs.

Factors to be considered in buying

• Make a checklist to be considered before purchasing a new TV. The list should include, screen size, picture and sound quality, features, brand, ease and range of use. Do not forget the type of technology and its energy efficiency too. All factors depend on home entertainment needs.
• Consider smaller screen size television because it consumes less energy.
• Use Energy Rating Label website to check which brand and model is the most energy efficient.

3 Things that affect power usage

1. Technology type – the light source used to produce the picture. New LCD TV is more efficient compared to Plasma. However, OLED is the most energy efficient but not widely used.
2. Screen Size – the bigger the screen the greater the energy consumption.
3. Picture Brightness – the brighter the output, the more power consumed.

Energy efficient TV

• Switch off the TV and all devices connected like DVD and speakers when not in use.
• Avoid standby power mode because it still consumes energy.
• Find out other ways of entertainment which consume less energy such as listening to radio.
• Use televisions with built-in speaker instead of standard speaker that also consume energy.
• Turn on power saver mode.

GAME CONSOLES

The Xbox One and other gaming consoles use a large amount of energy. Switching it off when not in use could save up to $193 a year – enough money to buy new games. The way of using game consoles may significantly lower the energy costs.  Consider these energy tips.

Turn“off”habit

This is the most common energy trick to save energy on any device. Turn off all gaming consoles when not in use. When taking a break, use standby mode. This can save some energy instead of leaving it on and draw full power.

Activate AUTO features

Some gaming consoles have an auto power-saving and shutdown feature. Check the operating menu and enable these features in case kids forget to turn it off after use. Activate sleep mode or auto-off mode after 15-60 minutes of inactivity. If the gaming consoles don’t have these features, search and download software online.

Use gaming consoles properly

Do not use consoles on watching movies.  It uses over 3 times as much energy than using a stand-alone one. Instead, use standalone Blue-ray or DVD player.

Maintain cooling mechanism

Clean the gaming consoles regularly. It helps the system temperature down easily. It also improves overall performance and lifespan of gaming consoles.

HOME THEATER SYSTEM

On purchasing a home theater system, regardless of the budget, do some research which suits your home theater needs.

On purchasing home theater system, regardless of the budget, do some research which suit your home theater needs. Costlier systems include extra devices which may not be needed. In addition to this, consider entertainment components with energy star® mark. These products are more energy efficient.

MOBILE PHONES

Smartphones help us to stay connected and in touched with our loved ones. Unfortunately, it needs to charge up every day. Here are simple tips to help reduce energy use of mobile phones.

• Reduce screen brightness and turn off animated wallpaper. It is also the main reason of power drain.
• Turn off special features like Bluetooth and GPS. Set GPS to auto-mode so it enables only when needed.
• Follow the manufacturer’s guide on charging mobile phones for a long run battery lifespan.
• Keep out mobile phones from the sun, hot car or any hot surface. Heat degrades battery’s performance.
• Uninstall applications which are not needed. The more application it has, the more power it consumes.

Improving energy efficiency at home surely saves some money on energy bills. However, switching retailer lowers energy rates which reduce overall energy consumption.