So do you turn off your TV using a remote but not turn off the switch? Same with AC? Well , I am guilty of doing it like the rest of you. Does it matter ? YES!
In this day and age , we all have been so caught up with our lives , that we miss out on small details which could cost you a lot! In order to find out how much we can save on something , first we need to know the numbers.
“Disclaimer : This post contains Affiliate Links. Meaning , I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through these links , at no cost to you.”
So ever since the pandemic has struck us, we have been glued to our TVs, of course, what else can we do when we are stuck at home right? We all have that one friend who insisted that we watch DARK a mind-bending series on Netflix(you must watch it if you haven’t already, it’s great!) or Stranger Things for that matter. We start watching an episode and we cannot stop till we finish it by binge-watching. Let us say that we watched Netflix for 12hrs on your beautiful 50″ LCD TV, ever wondered how much power it consumed? Nah, neither did I wonder till I actually wanted to save energy and reduce my electricity bill. So after doing a little research, I found out that a 50″ LCD TV has a power rating of 150watts.
That means if you watch TV for 12hrs it is 150watts X 12hrs = 1800 watt hours = 1.8 kWh
So in a month that is 1.8 kWh X 30 = 54 kWh
So basically your cost of electricity = power consumed X electricity tariff
Let us say the electricity tariff in your state is Rs.10
That means your cost of watching your favorite shows on TV everyday = 54kWh X 10 = Rs.540/-
And for an year it will be 540 X 12 = Rs.6480/-
Ok now hold that thought.
What about the times when you simply turn off the TV using the remote? If you thought it stops consuming power , you are wrong!
The TV Goes into standby mode when you use the remote to turn it off. Does it matter? YES!
The TV consumes upto 5 – 10% of the rated power when in standby mode! Which comes up to Rs. 648! The money which you could use to order 4 Rice Bowls @KFC (>,<)”
It might look small but Imagine how much energy and money could be saved if everyone understands this and take necessary steps to avoid this?
So what did I do to avoid this? Let’s be honest after you read this and feel responsible and try to turn off the switch, you may only remember to do it for a day or two. After which you may remember it after going to bed and feel too lazy to go back and turn off the switch, and eventually you will forget it 🙁 But I have a better idea! 😀
Like I mentioned earlier , the first step to save anything is by measuring it. After doing some research and going through hundreds of unnecessarily expensive devices to save energy , I found a smart plug.
Its called the Wipro Smart Plug. Its as simple as plugging your TV adapter into this, instead of your main socket.
You can buy it here on Amazon.in
This smart plug allows you to control the plug through your phone! Ah! the relief ! You forgot to turn off your TV or any appliance for that matter , after you reached work , or that new restaurant you wanted to visit? Well, let this device save you! It definitely helped me save energy and a lot of money. You should see how smug I was with my friends when I was telling them how “environmentally conscious” I was 😛 Apart from giving you unparalleled control over your electronics , this plug will show you exactly how much energy your devices are consuming, helping you measure and cut down your costs.
But you feel its too much work to go through phone and turn things off , I feel you too. I have a better Idea! You can control this plug with the latest Echo Dot , you simply speak out your mind and consider it done!
With a combination of Both Wipro Smart Plug and the latest Echo Dot, you can literally control almost all electrical appliances in your home! You will back the small amount spent on this within a year or two maximum, hey! money saved is money earnt right?
But thats not all! There is still something that you can do to save electricity while watching TV. For starters , just reduce the brightness! Please! You are not only straining your eyes , but also you are ruining the beautiful scenes in DARK by over lighting it , they spent a lot of time color grading that series! Reduce your brightness to a minimum , turn off the lights or dim the lights while watching TV. By the way , did I mention about the dimmable lights that I recently set up in my TV room?
Well, most of the electronics on Amazon now have an EMI option right? So I decided to splurge Rs.300/month to buy this beautiful Philips Hue Go Smart Light which can be controlled through your phone using their app, or with the Echo Dot, I mentioned earlier. If you feel that this is expensive(it’s not if you calculate),
you have cheaper alternatives like Helea Smart Wifi Bulb, which would cost you only around 500 bucks. As a whole using technology not only for convenience but also to save energy is the most 2020 thing ever! Let me know if this helps you and how much energy you managed to save! I am leaving the product links below if you want to check them out :
Wipro Smart Plug : https://amzn.to/3hqcsqb
Latest Echo Dot (4th Gen) : https://amzn.to/3mWCDWs
Philips Hue Go Smart Light : https://amzn.to/2WT1YX0
Helea Smart Wifi Bulb : https://amzn.to/3mVSm8q
