16 November 2007

Green veneer for Wooden clad TVs?

What is your carbon footprint...? Can buying a Swedx wooden TV help reduce it? Well not if the TV, encased in wood, could use about half a tonne more CO2 over its lifetime, than similar models; just check it out on sust-it's energy consumption comparison website.

Take the running costs, for example, of Swedx 40" HD Freeview TV in Sapele wood, compared to the Sony 40" KDL-40D3000 - using sust-it's energy consumption database, and you'll soon see the savings on the Sony, both in cash terms and CO2. The Swedx could consume 547.5 kWh/year costing £91.58, while the Sony only uses 370.11 kWh/year costing £58.71. So by choosing an energy efficient TV you could save nearly £200 (£197.22) of electricity (at current prices) and nearly half a tonne of CO2 (457.62 kgCO2) if you kept the TV for six years!

Ross Lammas from sust-it said: "When I first came across these TVs I thought 'what a great idea'. It's only when we added them to our database that real picture came out. It's a pity that the green credentials of the wooden case don't match that of the insides.

sust-it believes that consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to reduce energy consumption, and therefore reduce their own CO2 emissions. This again highlights the need for clear labelling of the potential power consumption of electronic devices, rather than relying on small print in the technical specification sheets.

The sust-it website allows consumers to compare the running cost of hundreds of consumer electrical goods. It does this by taking the manufacturers published energy consumption rates then multiplying this by electricity unit tariffs, so making it possible to see how much it will cost to run each day and per year.

Manufacturers can also register with sust-it, and then upload data on the power consumption and product information. Ross said, "Our site offers manufacturers a great opportunity to showcase their energy efficiency to potential new customers. Brands such as Epsom and Bosch have already signed-up. If we all choose energy efficient products in our homes and workplaces we can have a real impact on long-term CO2 emissions, and save money."