EPA Raises the Bar for Energy Star Televisions

Consumers will save more money and energy with new requirements

EPA has revised the qualifications for televisions to achieve the Energy Star label, requiring TVs to be 40 percent more energy efficient than conventional models. These requirements will help consumers save even more energy and money and fight climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions while allowing them to continue to enjoy the features, performance and quality they expect. Televisions meeting EPA’s new, more stringent Energy Star specifications will be available in stores nationwide starting May 1, 2010.

The new requirements raise the bar on how energy efficient a TV must be to earn the Energy Star label. They require TVs to use less energy when turned on, ensure a satisfactory level of brightness and curb power associated with downloading program guide data. This all translates to big savings for consumers and the environment. If all televisions sold in the United States met the new Energy Star requirements, Americans would save $2.5 billion annually in energy costs while reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions of about 3 million cars.

With more than 19 million TVs with screens larger than 40 inches expected to ship to American homes in 2010, these Energy Star requirements will offer important savings in larger size TVs. For example, the new requirements for 46 and 50 inch TV models will deliver almost 50 percent savings over conventional models of the same size. The new requirements announced today demonstrate the agency’s continuing commitment to helping consumers find and purchase the most efficient products in this highly dynamic product category.

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