EL33TONLINE: News tag archive: powerconsumption

If you like me are oblivious to how much power your video game consoles consume (even when in standby mode), you may be interested to know that modern video game consoles consume more power than most household devices.

According to the Choice report by The Australian Consumers’ Association, the PS3 uses the most power when in use closely followed by the Xbox 360. These devices also consumed the most power even when idle, “serving as an important reminder to turn off videogame systems after use.” Interesting to note is that the PS3 consumed over 10 times as much power as the Nintendo Wii.

The report states that “leaving a PlayStation 3 on while not in use would cost almost $250 a year in electricity bills (charged at 15c per kWh). This alone is around five times more than it would take to run a refrigerator for the same yearly period.”

Gamers with Plasma TV sets should also take note that the Plasma TV is a “power hungry device” that consumes “over four times more power than a traditional CRT analogue TV set.”

The report suggests leaving the devices in standby mode to reduce energy usage, save on costs and carbon emissions. Head over to the Choice website for a look at the power usage of common household technology products.