Just received:Consumers can enjoy all the benefits of flat screen television technology with minimal electricity use, with all makes and models now required to perform to minimum standards of energy efficiency.The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority has introduced a minimum energy performance standard for televisions from 1 October, which means that all new TVs in New Zealand are efficient users of energy, including when in standby.Complementing the standard is a star rating label, like that already seen on whiteware, which indicates levels of energy efficiency: more stars mean greater energy efficiency. Some televisions sold in New Zealand already display the star ratings but they will now be required on all televisions. Choosing a model with a high star rating means consumers save money on the television's ongoing running costs.Products manager Terry Collins says many people don't realise how much energy modern televisions can use, with TVs now the fourth biggest energy consuming appliance in the average household.'It used to be that you could find modern televisions that drew more power than the household fridge,' says Mr Collins.'Coupled with the increasing use of large screen TVs with video game consoles, digital video recorders, and streaming/on-demand video devices, this recent explosion in television technology has meant the amount of electricity potentially consumed by gone up and up.' EECA worked with the Australian Government in a joint programme looking into performance standards around television energy efficiency as part of its Trans Tasman Equipment Energy Efficiency programme.'After consultation with industry and other stakeholders, we found introducing a minimum energy performance standard and labelling the best measures to take. The standard prevents the worst performers from entering the market, and labelling helps consumers identify how much electricity a TV uses and compare the energy efficiency of similar models. The introduction of these will have little impact on the range of models or sizes available; rather, it will just ensure that those available will be designed to use less energy.'It is forecast that over $900 million of electricity will be saved over the next ten years* as a result of introducing and upgrading MEPS and labelling for TV.* Assuming 10 hours of use a day, at the rate of 20.4c/kWh
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