Tired of paying high energy bills? If you're wondering where you might be able to cut back on your expenses, look no further than the opiate of the masses. Your television and its associated hardware represent a huge power drain, and there are some simple fixes you can perform that don't require any technical skill or any of your neighbour's "advanced," technically questionable knowledge about the electrical meters on the side of your flat. 

Smart Sizing

Getting greener isn't just an attractive catchphrase when it comes to television, and you can start off on the road to lower bills with smaller size screens. This should be obvious, but the appeal of a huge set can often override good sense when it comes time to select your model on the showroom floor. 

Selecting Specs

If scaling your viewing pleasure down isn't good enough for you, or you just really like the big picture, you can consider a different type of television. Plasma TVs are the worst when it comes to energy consumption, as LCD models of comparable size only require 33% to 50% as much energy to operate just as well, being backlit as opposed to having per pixel illumination. As LCD sets go, the best are those that use efficient LED backlighting instead of fluorescent tubes, and although rear projection HD TVs beat most other models in terms of efficient energy usage, they're decreasingly common.

Saving with Settings and System 

Feel like you're about to go blind as well as run out of money for power fees? Try turning down the brightness on your set. While there are intelligent tellies that automatically adjust this setting to match the changing scenes they depict and maintain a consistent perceived contrast/picture level overall, you can just as easily navigate to the options in the menu and make your own adjustments. Some LCDs also allow you to perform a similar change to the intensity of the backlights and this easy solution can save you a good amount.

Check the model of TV you fancy for more features that will reduce how much you pay for it in the long run. For instance, there's nothing wrong with falling asleep while watching, if you remember to set the automatic off timer, and you'd be surprised how much your bill goes down, as well as how much better your ears feel, after you lower the volume. Those devices attached to your set, whether they include stereo systems, video games, or media players, all require electricity, even when not turned on, so make a habit of unplugging the ones you won't use for an extended time.