The Energy saving series – Living Room Edition saw
first print on saveonenergy.com By Caitlin Cosper |
A new year means resolutions – and many resolutions revolve
around spending less each month. The quickest way to cut down on your energybills is to reduce the amount of electricity you use. So, why not
begin your quest in the living room?
Did you know the living room typically uses the most
electricity of any other in the average American home? Your living room may be
where you feel most comfortable – but it is also where a lot of energy-heavy
devices live.
SaveOnEnergy is here to help you find energy savings by
reducing your usage. In this week’s installment of how to save energy in your
home, we set our sights on the living room.
Television:
Approximately 75percent of American households have a television in their living
room. What’s more, most families have more than one TV – on average there are
2.5 TVs in every home.
The amount of energy your TV consumes relies mainly on the
size, model, and technology, but most televisions consume between 80 and 400
watts an hour. Payless Power discusses
how different TVs consume energy. You can see a breakdown in the chart below:
|
Size |
LCD |
Plasma |
LED |
|
30
inches |
60
watts |
150
watts |
50
watts |
|
42 inches |
120 watts |
220 watts |
80 watts |
|
50
inches |
150
watts |
300
watts |
100
watts |
The type
of TV you purchase for your living room will determine how much energy this
room consumes each month. It’s safe to say that LED TVs consume way less
electricity compared to other models.
There are other ways to save energy through your television.
Be sure to turn it completely off when you aren’t using it. Most current models
have “low power” or “sleep” modes, but your television will still consume
energy if you don’t power it completely down.
You can also set the backlight to normal or low to save
energy. According to The Earth Awards, “The stronger the brightness of the
screen is, the more energy it consumes. Setting your TV’s backlight to normal
or low can lessen its use of energy. Adjusting the brightness and backlight
could also help your television to have a longer lifespan.”
Gaming console:
Video games have become even more popular as many households
remain in quarantine and new, more advanced consoles have become available.
However, many game consoles also serve as a method to stream movies, shows, and
music. So, it isn’t surprising that gaming consoles can use a good chunk of
energy to run each day.
Like your television, the amount of electricity your game
console consumes varies by product and model. However, there are
ways to reduce energy usage regardless of the type of console you own.
Energy Star recommends taking full advantage of the “power
saving” settings on your console. For example, the Xbox One’s “Energy-Saving
Power Mode” will reduce the console’s standby power usage by 98 percent.
For avid gamers, your gaming console requires a lot of
energy. Video games have vastly improved in graphics in recent years and, as a
result, the cost of gaming has quadrupled since the 90s. To reduce this cost, remember
to turn your console off when you aren’t using it. This includes turning off
your console’s controllers, which also consume energy.
Living room windows:
The windows in your living room can also help you save
energy and cut back on how much you spend on your electric bill each month. For
starters, be sure to keep your window coverings away from fans, vents, ducts,
and heating registers. This will help air circulate efficiently and won’t put
any extra strain on your HVAC system.
Your windows will also help heat or cool your living room,
depending on the season. In the winter, you should always open your curtains or
blinds during the day so the sunlight will warm your living room. And in the
summer, keep those curtains closed whenever you can. They will block the hot
sun from heating the room and causing a higher air conditioning cost.
If you’re looking to invest more in the energy efficiency of
your living room, energy-efficient windows are the way to go. Opting for Energy Star-certified windows will reduce how much
heat or air conditioning escapes your home.
And if your windows are already in good shape, there are
ways to ensure they remain as energy-efficient as possible. Be sure to check
for any air leaks at least once a year. Caulking and weatherstripping will
block those leaks and keep the heat or cool air inside.
Lighting choices:
You probably spend a lot of time in your living room, so
it’s essential to make sure the lighting is energy efficient. LED lightbulbs
use between 25 and 80 percent less energy than traditional
lightbulbs. And LEDs also last much longer, which will save you the cost of
replacing lightbulbs.
If there are dimmer switches installed in your living room,
you could cut back on how much energy your lights use. Dimmers allow you to
lower your lights’ intensity, so they don’t need as much electricity. And bonus
point: dimmers create the perfect lighting for a movie night!
Want more energy-savings tips? See SaveOnEnergy’s previous
installments below:
Caitlin Cosper is a writer within the energy and power
industry. Born in Georgia, she attended the University of Georgia before
earning her master’s in English at the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte.
[Photographee.eu]/Shutterstock
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