Tips for Making Smart Green Electronic Purchases

We know you care. A consumer survey by the Consumer Electronics Association found 60 percent of consumers are concerned about their electric bill and energy consumption was the third most important attribute to consumers buying electronics, behind features and price.

Consumer electronics have made huge strides in recent years regarding a variety of environmentally friendly attributes. For instance, the amount of power needed for LCD TVs fell 63 percent from 2003 to 2010, and declined 41 percent for plasma TVs from 2008 to 2010. At the same time TVs got smaller and lighter. TV manufacturers reduced the weight of TVs 82 percent and volume 72 percent from 2004 to 2010. So look for smaller, lighter and more efficient devices and always:

1. Look for the ENERGY STAR label. Currently, more than 27,000 electronics product models meet ENERGY STAR specifications set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy. These products offer huge energy cost savings.

2. Look for EPEAT-certified products. Beyond energy consumption, EPEAT is another certification that looks at even more environmental aspects of products. Search here for compelling EPEAT products.