Forums Forums National News Plasma television screens set to be banned..

The plasma screen television is set to become the next victim of the battle against climate change.

Giant energy-guzzling flat screens are expected the be banned under legislation on TV energy use expected to be agreed by the EU this spring.

Plasma screens, which are popular in pubs and supermarket, as well as in homes, have been nicknamed the '4x4s' of the living room because they use up to four times as electricity as traditional cathode ray sets.


[b]The plasma screen television is expected to be banned under legislation on TV energy use[/b]

The most energy intensive will be phased out under the new standards for minimum energy performance, which will follow the withdrawal of the traditional 100watt lightbulb.

The moves are part of a concerted effort to stem the spiralling electricity consumption in households by phasing out wasteful devices and introducing low-energy alternatives.

Families have nearly three times as many electrical appliances and gadgets as they had a generation ago and the amount of electricity used to power them has doubled.

Today's Britain boasts 60million television sets - one for every person in the country - with plasma screens among the most popular buys.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: 'In the past five years, we have seen the main television in the household change from typically being a 24-32in cathode ray television to being a much larger flatscreen television, with screen sizes of between 32 and 42in becoming more and more common.

'Not surprisingly, this has seen the energy used by the main television in the house increase.'

As well as using up to four times as much electricity as traditional TVs, plasma sets are responsible for up to four times as much carbon dioxide as the biggest traditional cathode ray set.

However, LCD flat screen TVs, which are becoming increasingly popular, are much more energy efficient than their plasma cousins, with a 42in LCD TV using similar amounts of energy to a much smaller traditional set.

The new regulations will lead to the most energy-inefficient plasma screens - likely the biggest - being phased out.


The remaining TVs of all types will have to carry energy rating labels designed to make it easy to distinguish between the best and worst performers.

The EU has already set minimum standards for electricity consumption in the stand-by mode, which should lead to TVs switched off by remote control using a quarter of the power of today's models.

Defra stressed the plasma TV would not be subject to an outright ban, with eco-friendly sets remaining on the market.

A spokesman added: 'Of course people should be able to choose the type of TV they want.

'We are working with the EU to make sure what is on the market is as environmentally friendly as possible.'

thats me fooked then

hmmm. thats a lot of people fooked

dont think so, fine give us an lcd or everyone whos bought one their money back!

Idiots

It will never work!

I know this is off topic but i prefare CRT dunno why but they last longer

I wouldnt buy a plasma anyway, LCD all the way for me

The last TV i had was brought for me in 1986 as a birthday present cause i had a Spectrum and it worked up untill my 21st birthday then i chucked it cause i brought a bigger one..

I dont think they will come round to your house with a detector van and forcably remove your plasma TV

I think youll find that Plasmas just wont be on sale any more...

I think the main question will be what happens to your warrenty? If they stop making the TVs spares for repairs and replacements will not be available - though I guess they will just replace it with the equiv LCD....

Yep or someone is gonna make a big profit if they can open up a buisness fixing them.. etc

A while back, my son and I were in a large Comet/Curry's/whatever store in Edinburger. They had a long row of the big plasma jobbies, 2 sets high, all switched on. When walking up the isle behind these sets, the heat given off was worrying !

Room heaters that show pictures. MMmmmm. ??

I don't mind if these disappear from supermarkets - I hate it when you're walking around Tesco's and there's a silly little screen watching you from over the top of the shelf - trying to brainwash you into buying Oat So Simple Marmite flavour!

LCD Can not reproduce a True back Pixel

Plasma you get better viewing angles,
(You need this if you have fallen out with the missus)

You got a tv as a birthday present when you were 4??? What's the world coming to? Or rather, what WAS the world coming to?

LOL well i had a spectrum i needed a tv