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US households could save eight billion US dollars annually
With many electronic devices, it is advisable to also unplug them from the power supply after switching them off. As NEXTPIT points out, electronic devices consume power even when they are in standby mode so that they can be used immediately when needed. A study by the US Department of Energy found that 5 to 10 percent of electricity used in homes is standby power. According to CNET, that’s an average usage of around $100 per year.
Turning off devices saves energy and has environmental benefits. In the US alone, households could save $8 billion a year by reducing the number of devices that are always on. This is the conclusion of a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Electricity consumption could be reduced by 64 billion kilowatt hours per year. Another effect would be 44 million tons less carbon dioxide pollution for the environment. As reported by CNET, NRDC estimates the cost of always-on devices at an average of $165 per household per year.
TVs with OLED screens should not be unplugged
As Heise reports, it is not always the right decision to disconnect a television from the power supply. A consumer from Germany had completely disabled their LG OLED TV and smart socket in 2018 to prevent the device from catching fire due to power fluctuations. As a side effect, the TV screen showed ghosting, which can happen more often with OLED and AMOLED screens.
The LG television performs a so-called pixel refresh in standby mode. This is a compensation process intended to prevent damage to the pixels (burn-in effect). According to information from Heise, the operating instructions for the television did not contain any direct reference to a possible ghosting effect. The manufacturer admitted this and replaced the device. In the meantime, not only LG, but also other manufacturers have upgraded and added information about possible burn-in effects to the operating instructions for their televisions with OLED screens. If this notice is disregarded, it is even possible that the guarantee will be lost.
Refresher function ensures pixel updating
After four hours of operation, the TV will undergo an automatic pixel refresh in standby mode. If the TV is not connected to the electricity, the process cannot be carried out. Ghosting can occur over time, degrading picture quality.
According to the manufacturer LG, OLED TVs have an integrated pixel refresher function that regularly scans the pixels and compensates for deterioration if necessary. In addition, the function detects any change in the TFT (Thin Film Transistor) voltage during switch-off. A deterioration of the pixels is to be recognized and corrected by a comparison with a defined reference value.
M. Wieser / Editor finanzen.net
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