Poor Richard’s Almanac

Frugal living tip #6. February 10, 2009

Silence Dogood here. As faithful readers know, we here at Poor Richard’s Almanac have elected to start each week of 2009 with a frugal living tip, so folks who are struggling with the economic downturn like us can find some inspiration and cost-cutting ideas. So what happened to yesterday’s tip?

Well, here it is, a day late if not a dollar short, thanks to the kind of customer service that would bring tears to your eyes. Our friend Ben and I live so far from what passes from civilization that our internet access involved both the cable company and the telephone company—high-speed cable in, dial-up out. Are you dying yet? We certainly were when we set up our home office and discovered that this was the best we could get. Paying two monthly bills for internet access wasn’t any fun, either.

This weekend, our internet access kicked out. As always when this happens, we called the cable service and spoke to tech support to let them know we had no access and see if access was down in our area or if it was just us. After checking things out, the technician cheerfully informed us that “Oh, your area was just upgraded to two-way cable so your modem doesn’t work anymore. You won’t be able to get internet access until you bring it to our office and exchange it for a two-way modem.”

Gee, thanks for letting us know. But at least now we can cancel our dedicated computer phone line and save some money. There’s a silver lining to every cloud, or so they say.

But getting back to this week’s frugal living tip. Each month, our electric company sends us a newsletter along with our bill, and not surprisingly, the last few have been focused on strategies for saving energy. This month’s focused on energy hogs you might not have thought about: flat-screen TVs.

Now, with analog TVs going the way of leaded gasoline, even our friend Ben and I finally succumbed and exchanged Ben’s ancient, computer-screen-sized analog TV for a 24-inch flat screen when we visited OFB’s father at Christmas, going to his local Costco and splitting the price with him as our Christmas present. We’ve been enjoying watching DVDs from Netflix on our new and improved TV, even though we still don’t receive any channels. So we probably have the TV plugged in about 6 hours a week, which is a good thing, given the following. I quote:

“LCD and plasma TVs are a big hit. With their dazzling pictures, it’s no wonder. But what you may not know is that these flat-panel phenoms of the TV world are big energy users. Consider this: A new 42-inch plasma TV can draw as much as three times the power of a traditional 27-inch TV, or about as much as a full-size refrigerator. A 42-inch LCD can draw about twice as much as a traditional 27-inch model.

“Those numbers add up to higher electricity bills. Add in other home electronics, like high-definition cable boxes, digital recorders and more, and you could be in for a big surprise. You could also be wiping out any energy savings you might otherwise realize from steps like switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs. To reduce your electricity use and save money, consider how much electricity those new appliances will use. Look for the most energy-efficient models.”

Of course I loved the concept of a 27-inch TV as “traditional,” i.e., hopelessly outdated, as opposed to, say, our new and wonderful 24-inch flat screen. How big does it really have to be?!! But their point is certainly worth taking into account. Remember, an unplugged TV draws no energy, so when you’re not watching, maybe you should pull the plug.

Please share any other energy-conserving ideas you have with us. We could all use some help reducing those electric bills!

         ‘Til next time,

                     Silence