Plasma television screens set to be banned.. - 11th Jan 2009 10:32pm
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.
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[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.'
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.'
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