Best energy-saving TVs

Even the most ardent climate-change denier can't possibly enjoy spending more on their electricity bill than they need to. Energy-saving TVs are capable of reducing your monthly bills by a reasonable amount, and, if the habitability of the planet and being able to breathe matter to you, you can also claim to be part of the solution -- not the problem -- by choosing one.

By far the biggest single drain on the national grid is the backlight in LCD TVs. This backlight is traditionally a form of fluorescent tube that illuminates the LCD panel so you can see what's happening on the screen. In a plasma TV, the electricity is used sending a charge to millions of tiny cells filled with gas. Plasma sets had one advantage over LCD TVs until recently, in that the power use would be lower when displaying black or dark images. LCDs, on the other hand, tended to drain electricity at a constant rate.

Some new LCD TVs, however, have an LED backlight. This is a very power-efficient method of illuminating a panel -- LEDs use far less power than a CCFL tube and can also be more easily dimmed.

All but one of the TVs in this round-up are LED-backlit. The Sony Bravia KDL-40WE5 uses other features to keep power consumption down. It has a sensor that monitors the ambient light, and can dim or brighten the on-screen image to match the environment it's in. It also monitors the room to see if you're still in it. If you leave, it can simply switch itself off -- and save you a whole bunch of money in the process.

The good news is that you no longer have to compromise on size to get the eco-friendly TV of your green dreams. These TVs all offer a generous screen size and excellent performance without killing the planet.