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Consumers who are in the market to buy a new flat panel TV are not only asking about price, screen size and picture quality but energy efficiency says leading research Company GFK. They also claim that consumer can save up to $200 a year by better managing the power useage of a TV. However reseach shows that most retailers don’t understand the issue.
They say that in the future the energy efficency of consumer electronic goods is set to become an increasingly important factor when consumers make a purchase however a recent survey of retailers including Bing Lee, Sony Central and Harvey Norman Stores reveal that not one sales executive knew anything about the power consumption or energy efficiency of a HD TV.
Energy efficiency has long been a decisive factor when it comes to purchasing a new refrigerator or washing machine say GFK however when it comes to describing the energy efficency of a TV few retailers are selling the benefits of a TV and standby mode.
GFK claim that most manufacturers have reduced the energy consumption of the stand-by function, so that it constitutes just a fraction of the total energy consumption of a TV. Electricity consumption during normal operation is now a higher priority for consumers than the amount of power used by the stand-by mode.
In five countries where the research took place- 74% of respondents consider this factor as important at the least, and 36% as extremely important. Energy consumption during normal operation is therefore just as important as the screen size when it comes to consumers making a purchase decision. However, there are significant differences between the countries when it comes to the importance of individual criteria.
The energy consumption of a television can make a huge impact on the electricity bill. For example, when comparing two similar 42″ plasma TVs, the energy efficient one consumes 215 watts, whilst the conventional set consumes 380 watts. Based on an average of four hours usage per day, the energy-saving TV costs around $119 a year in electricity, whilst the operating cost of the other TV is around $218 per year.
GFK claim that an increasing number of specialist electrical retailers state that customers actively broach the issue of energy efficiency when considering the purchase of a new TV. IDuring their recent research study two out of three specialists reported that customers raised the issue themselves.
