Well... this is an eye-opener...
So I'm looking over my options for a new TV set. First and foremost, it turns out my old set wasn't quite the energy hog I thought it was: It's rated for 140 Watts. Of the sets I'm considering, the most energy-efficient is rated at an average of power usage of 53 Watts. So the power differential is about 87 Watts... and the new set costs $385.
I'm having difficulty finding a recent power bill, but according to my energy-company web site the average Electrical Cost for someone in my region is about $0.295/kWh. I based the following calculations on that presumption.
At the listed electric rate, I would have to use the new TV for about 15,000 hours before it would pay for itself.
Assuming I use the new set an average of 4 hours a day, that would take over 10 years. If I used the set an average of 5 hours a day, it would still take over 8 years.
Now, one could argue that the TV in question is still worth the expense -- I've had my current TV for at least 12 years, so I'd be likely to hold onto the new TV set for at least as long. Plus, I strongly suspect that I'm being charged significantly more than $0.295/kWh... and regardless, electric rates are only likely to go up over time.
OTOH, I was seriously considering another set which was rated at about 125 Watts. While it would consume less power than my current set, the energy savings would be negligible... so if I get it, it would really only be for the superior picture.
Like I said: I'm not rushing out the door just yet. I need to think this through...
I'm having difficulty finding a recent power bill, but according to my energy-company web site the average Electrical Cost for someone in my region is about $0.295/kWh. I based the following calculations on that presumption.
At the listed electric rate, I would have to use the new TV for about 15,000 hours before it would pay for itself.
Assuming I use the new set an average of 4 hours a day, that would take over 10 years. If I used the set an average of 5 hours a day, it would still take over 8 years.
Now, one could argue that the TV in question is still worth the expense -- I've had my current TV for at least 12 years, so I'd be likely to hold onto the new TV set for at least as long. Plus, I strongly suspect that I'm being charged significantly more than $0.295/kWh... and regardless, electric rates are only likely to go up over time.
OTOH, I was seriously considering another set which was rated at about 125 Watts. While it would consume less power than my current set, the energy savings would be negligible... so if I get it, it would really only be for the superior picture.
Like I said: I'm not rushing out the door just yet. I need to think this through...