By Brian Nadel and Matthew Moskovciak
(Updated October 10, 2008)
If you diligently click off the lights when you leave a room, obsess over the fuel-economy stickers on new cars, and cringe when the electricity bill arrives, you may be interested to know that your shiny, new flat-screen television could be a power hog. Electricity isn't cheap, and catching the big game on Sunday, watching the latest DVD, and playing
Halo 3 with your buddies can make your meter spin. But just how much does it cost to run a TV? To get an idea of how thirsty for power today's sets are, we measured how much electricity they actually use when they're on and when they're off. While big-screen TVs don't draw quite as much power as notorious power guzzlers such as air conditioners or washing machines, they can still make an impact on your electricity bill.