14 DAY TRIAL // It's time to get the beers out of the fridge (or milk, or soda bottles) and place them on our PlayStation 3, because following some recent studies, Sony's console consumes five times more energy than a medium sized refrigerator (with a height of 60 inches and 12 cu. ft. volume). Which doesn't necessarily mean that you will be bankrupt in a few years from now, but it is still an interesting fact to know, right?
The study was conducted by Australian magazine Choice and showed that a PlayStation 3 will cost about $250 per year if it is only turned on (and you're not playing), while the medium refrigerator would only cost you 50 bucks. Still, PlayStation 3 is not the only to score bad in the power consumption charts - most of the entertainment devices cost more than the good ol' fridge.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 console also costs you more than a fridge, but less than a PlayStation 3 - about $185 per year, while the Nintendo Wii could be considered dirt cheap: only $25 if it's on and you're playing! PC users are not too lucky either, since their desktop PC costs them about $130 per year (and if you add $43 from an LCD monitor and $20 for the speakers, you get a similar value with the Xbox 360).
"While we hope no one actually leaves their games console on for a whole year 24/7, the figures are indicative of just how much electricity these small devices can chew their way through," Choice spokesman Christopher Zinn said, adding that the company believes that computers and related products should be subject to the energy rating star system in order to help consumers choose energy-efficient models.
Or you could just buy five fridges and say "pass" to gaming consoles, PCs and so on. Fridges are the future!