Energy-saving tips for TVs and electronics

If you’ve been eying up a big electronics purchase for Black Friday then this blog is for you. After all, why save on the initial cost if you’re then wasting money unnecessarily while running them! 

Your laptop, computer, TV and games console are a great source of entertainment, particularly over the festive season. But did you know, your electronic devices are the third most energy-consuming appliance in your home? 

In this blog we’re covering the best ways to make your electronics use as little energy as possible, without having to limit any of the enjoyment.

Our top tip for reducing energy waste

There are loads of great energy-saving tips to cover. But the biggest, simplest change to make? Switch off your electronic devices at the wall when they’re not being used! 

It’s tried and tested advice, but leaving your devices on standby means they’ll continue to use energy. We’re all guilty of doing this – it’s how they’ve been set up, to be used again at a moment’s notice. But leaving your tech on standby is quite literally wasting energy, and the best habit to break. 

Just think – you wouldn’t leave your oven on low heat all day so it’s ready for your evening meal! Switching your devices off won’t affect their settings, or lose all the hard work you’ve put into a document or a game (as long as you save it first!) 

Unplugging, or switching your device off at the wall, can saving you around to £45 a year. It’s the easiest saving to make when it comes to energy. 

💡ivie tip: check out ‘Always On’ in the activity breakdown in the ivie smart meter app. See how much energy you’re wasting on standby appliances! 

Reduce your energy bills with the free ivie app – find out more here

5 energy-saving tips for your computer or laptop 

1. Use power-saving modes like ‘sleep’ or ‘hibernation’ within a specified time of inactivity. This will help reduce the amount of power it is pulling if you’re not using it.

2. Reduce screen brightness from 100% to 70%. Doing this will save up to 20% of your monitor’s energy usage!

3. Pick a laptop over a computer when you’re next shopping for an update. Laptops are more energy efficient than desktop computers. 

💡ivie insight: A computer uses almost three times as much wattage on average to run – 140W compared to around 50W for a laptop. 

4. Charge only when needed. The best advice for laptop battery health is to charge when between around 20-80%, and to unplug your laptop charger once it’s charged. 

💡Top tip: invest in a smart plug for your laptop and computer – especially if you work from home. A smart plug can help you to automate when your appliances turn off and on, such as switching off your computer at the end of the work day.

5. Disconnect external devices like printers or headphones unless they’re being used. These accessories eat up energy too – even having bluetooth headphones connected can add additional power drain! 

5 energy-saving tips for your TV 

1. Thinking of buying a new TV? Make sure to consider the size and type of TV. Going for an energy-efficient LED screen over plasma will save you energy. 

2. Switch your TV to an energy-saving mode during daylight hours to dim the backlight. This will help reduce your TV’s power consumption by a third.

3. Decrease the brightness of your TV. Your TV is usually set at a much higher level of brightness than needed. Decreasing the brightness and contrast is a simple trick for reducing energy usage. 

4. Set a sleep timer. If you often fall asleep whilst watching TV, this is for you! This timer will turn off your TV when it’s been idle for a set amount of time, so it can reduce wasted energy usage. 

5. Streaming music via your TV? Turn off the screen to save energy. If you want to take advantage of your TV speakers but aren’t actually watching anything on the screen, many have an option to turn off the screen display – if not, just turn the brightness all the way down while you listen.

5 energy-saving tips for your games consoles

1. Avoid just putting your console into sleep or rest mode. Shut it down properly when you can or it will continue to use energy.

💡ivie insight:  The Playstation 5 costs under £10 yearly on rest mode compared to the Xbox Series X and S which use around £22 of electricity when left on standby.

2. Don’t stream your favourite shows. Binge-watch your favourite Netflix or Amazon Prime shows via a Chromecast or Amazon Firestick, which can use up to 25x less energy than a console. Even better, use your smart TV! 

3. Switch off your controllers so they don’t continue to use up energy while you’re not using them.

4. Turn on the power saving mode. This will reduce the amount of energy you use whilst playing. Xbox One’s ‘Energy-Saving’ power mode disables features and helps drop the game console’s standby power by 98%!

5. Keep your game console updated. As much as we put off big updates, they do bring great benefits that are worth the inconvenience. Updating your game console will make it run more efficiently and help reduce its strain on energy usage. 

Summary

There are plenty of energy-saving tips to get you started – almost all free or low cost. After all, a full digital detox isn’t for everyone. If you want to keep entertained and stay connected this Christmas, make sure to follow our easy energy-saving tips instead! 

Find more of ivie’s energy-saving tips here