The electronics that people use at home for entertainment, working and communicating online add up to about 14% of the energy used in the average home. This includes for appliances and devices such as:
- TVs
- computers
- gaming consoles
- music and entertainment systems
- home office equipment.
Televisions
These costs are for 10 hours per day for 90 days - the date range for the average electricity bill.
| Screen size | Type of television | Typical watts | Hourly cost | Quarterly cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
19-35 inches | LED | 18-123 | $0.006-$0.04 | $5.40-$36.00 |
LCD | 21-144 | $0.007-$0.05 | $6.30-$45.00 | |
35-43 inches | LED | 38-195 | $0.01-$0.07 | $9.00-$63.00 |
LCD | 53-253 | $0.02-$0.09 | $18.00-$81.00 | |
Plasma | 88-290 | $0.03-$0.10 | $27.00-$90.00 | |
43-59 inches | LED | 52-255 | $0.02-$0.09 | $18.00-$81.00 |
LCD | 69-355 | $0.02-$0.12 | $18.00-$108.00 | |
Plasma | 94-399 | $0.03-$0.14 | $27.00-$126.00 |
Older television models
| Screen size | Type of television | Typical watts | Hourly cost | Quarterly cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
34-35cm | CRT | 36-65 | $0.01-$0.02 | $9.00-$18.00 |
51cm | CRT | 46-82 | $0.02-$0.03 | $18.00-$27.00 |
Greater than 42 inches (2009 models) | Plasma | 150-420 | $0.05-$0.15 | $45.00-$135.00 |
LCD | 100-275 | $0.03-$0.10 | $27.00-$90.00 |
Estimated running costs are based on the AGL electricity and Origin Energy standing retail contracts.
Entertainment and office appliances
Remember to include devices and accessories used with the computer such as:
- printers
- speakers
- monitors.
This table shows the hourly running cost by appliance.
| Appliance | Typical watts | Hourly running cost |
|---|---|---|
Desktop computer | 17-163 | $0.006-$0.06 |
Laptop | 10-38 | $0.003-$0.01 |
Printer (basic – multi-function) | 25-1200 | $0.008-$0.42 |
Cordless phone | less than 5 | $0.002 |
Mobile phone charger | less than 5 | $0.002 |
Game console | 15-200 | $0.005-$0.07 |
Estimated running costs are based on the AGL electricity and Origin Energy standing retail contracts.
Standby power
Stand-by power is the reduced energy used by an appliance when it is not performing its main function. Appliances can be:
- active standby - for example, speakers are turned on but there is no music playing
- passive stand-by - for example, able to be activated by a remote control.
| Appliance | Passive stand-by power use per hour | Active stand-by power use per hour |
|---|---|---|
Game console | 5.4W | 44.9W |
| Bluray or DVD player | 1.5W | 8.7W |
Television | 3.5W | n/a |
Printer | n/a | 8.8W |
Clothes washer (front loader) | n/a | 5.8W |
Clock radio | n/a | 2.1W |
Set-top box – Pay TV | 15.8W | n/a |
Total | 26.2W | 70.3W |
In Australia, the average stand-by power use in a household is 81.8 watts (W), 60% is from home entertainment and computers. Every watt of stand-by power costs approximately $3.07 per year if left on all the time. So for the average household:
Other tools can help you measure the use for your own appliances, including:
- Online calculator to measure appliance running costs
- Borrow a Home Energy Toolkit from your local library and measure energy with the plug-in power meter.
