Crackdown On Big-screen Tvs Expected
California is expected later today to crack down on the sale of energy-gobbling big-screen television sets that now account for about 10% of a typical household’s monthly power bill.
After nearly two years of study, the state Energy Commission will vote on the country’s first-ever efficiency regulations for TVs of up to 58 inches. The new standards for TVs sold after Jan. 1, 2011, are similar to those imposed on refrigerators, air conditioners and dozens of other household appliances since the 1970s.
The limits on TV energy usage would set limits on the amount of watts consumed per square inch of screen surface based on the type of television. They are expected to cut power usage associated with TVs by about half at the end of a twoo-year, phase-in period.
The tightened standards do not apply to any of of the approximately 35 million television sets currently in use.
Source: Los Angeles Times
