Should you leave your TV unplugged overnight? Not when there's an easier way to save electricity
Modern TVs use less than 0.5W in standby, costing only $0.11 annually versus the hassle of unplugging.
A new analysis from ZDNET challenges the long-held habit of unplugging TVs overnight to save energy, revealing that the practice yields minimal financial benefit with modern sets. Staff writer Taylor Clemons details that contemporary models like the LG G5 OLED and Toshiba C350 consume less than 0.5 watts in standby mode. At the U.S. national average electricity rate of 17.24 cents per kilowatt-hour, this translates to a mere 11 cents in annual costs for a TV left in standby for 8 hours daily, debunking the need for the nightly plug-pull ritual.
For those still seeking to minimize phantom load, the article provides a brand-by-brand guide to disabling standby LED indicators within TV settings menus. The process is straightforward for most major brands—including Samsung, Sony, LG, Hisense, TCL, and Roku—though notably cumbersome for Amazon Fire TV models, which require complex debugging software. The key takeaway is a shift in perspective: while early LCD and plasma TVs were energy hogs, today's LED and OLED technology has drastically improved efficiency, making the standby power draw a negligible line item on the energy bill compared to other household devices.
- Modern TVs like the LG G5 use <0.5W in standby, costing only ~$0.11/year (U.S. avg).
- Disabling standby LEDs is possible in settings for Samsung, Sony, LG, but not Amazon Fire TV.
- Yearly max operating cost difference between high-end OLED and entry-level LED is only about $2.32.
Why It Matters
Saves time and hassle for consumers by clarifying that unplugging modern TVs has negligible impact on energy bills.