Consumer group rates appliance power consumption, PS3 one of the highest

People who pay their own electricity bills want to know which of their electronics use the most amount of electricity. And as gamers who uses consoles, you should to. Choice, an Australian consumer group, came out with a study that checks out the average power consumption of the oft-used electronic household gadgets, including consoles. Check out the results in the full article.

 

If it’s your habit to leave your consoles turned on even if you’re not playing a game, then this report should make you realize how much money you needlessly spend on electricity bills. Australian consumer group Choice came up with a study that shows the power usage of common electronics, including our three favorite gaming consoles.

The study’s results show that among the three major consoles – Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii – Sony’s gaming machine guzzles the most amount of electricity in one go, even more than a mid-sized refrigerator, assuming that one leaves their Sony console turned on with a game running for 24/7.

To be more specific, a PS3 running a game non-stop for a week will consume as much as 33.34 kilowatts per hour, which roughly translates to US$ 4.75 dollars. On the other hand, the Xbox 360 uses 26 kilowatts per hour when left running a game for the same length of time, which is worth US$ 3.70.

The Nintendo Wii consumes the least amount of energy, clocking in at an impressive power-saving 3.14 kilowatts per hour for a week of non-stop gaming, or only 44 cents. Kudos goes to Nintendo for coming up with a power-saving gaming console.

However, you should know that just turning off your console isn’t enough. Gaming consoles still consume a bit of energy even when turned off, as long as they’re plugged into the power source. If you’re a gamer who’s getting burdened by costly power bills, you should know by now the best way to save: unplug your machines when not in use. And yes, you may want to lay off folding@home for a while.

Via Choice