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A putative class action lawsuit claims Samsung Energy Star televisions are secretly designed to automatically disable the features that make them energy-efficient.
Plaintiff Anthony Cali of New York alleges that Samsung Electronics America designs its televisions so that they qualify for Energy Star certification, then disables their energy-saving features once the user changes the picture settings.
According to the Samsung class action lawsuit, Energy Star is a voluntary program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designed to designate and promote energy-efficient products as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Televisions that are Energy Star-certified are on average 25 percent more energy efficient than other models, Cali says. For that reason, consumers may be willing to pay more for products with the Energy Star label – not just to reduce carbon emissions but also to save money on their home energy bill.
But Cali says there’s evidence Samsung has designed its Energy Star televisions to disable their energy-saving features when the user changes the picture settings.
This design element was allegedly revealed during testing conducted in 2015 by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Ecos Research. Testing revealed that Samsung Energy Star televisions disabled key energy-saving features once the user changed the default settings.
“A few seemingly harmless clicks, without warning, can as much as double the cost to operate a TV over its 10-year lifetime, costing owners an extra $100 to $200 in energy bills,” Cali alleges.
The NRDC and Ecos concluded that Samsung Energy Star televisions and those made by other manufacturers were designed to exploit the television testing process used by the Department of Energy. According to Cali, the DOE measures power consumption by running a specially-designed 10-minute video on all televisions being tested.
That video is a collection of unusually short scenes that does not accurately mimic real-world video content, Cali says, and the DOE testing process does not account for changes in the television’s brightness settings.
Testers for the NRDC commented that the disabling features on Samsung Energy Star televisions were “the most extreme software design we encountered; no other manufacturer went this far to disable energy-saving features.”
Cali says he purchased a 40-inch Samsung Energy Star television in January 2016. He says that after adjusting the television’s aspect ratio, contrast and brightness, the resulting increase in the television’s power consumption resulted in a higher electric bill.
The plaintiff is proposing to represent a Class consisting of all persons in the U.S. who purchased a 2015 or 2016 Samsung Energy Star television with a screen size of 32 inches or greater.
He is asking the court to order Samsung to stop the allegedly unlawful practices complained of and to engage in a corrective advertising campaign. He also seeks an award of damages and disgorgement of all money gained through the allegedly deceptive marketing of Samsung Energy Star televisions, plus reimbursement of court costs and attorneys’ fees.
Representing the plaintiff is attorney Trinette G. Kent of Lemberg Law LLC.
The Samsung Energy Star Television Class Action Lawsuit is Anthony Cali v. Samsung Electronics America Inc., Case No. 2:16-cv-08495, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
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59 thoughts onSamsung Class Action Says Energy Star TVs Cheat Gov’t Energy Testing
We have one and our bill has gone up a little.
We have one and our bill hasn’t gone down any
I have 2 of them bill went up
Some of these posts are hilarious cleaning ATV increase their bill by $100-$200 a month. That is absolutely impossible!! Like the article says it might increase your bill $100 over a ten-year period, do the math, that’s $10 a year.
Now for him on his post, last year I bought a 60 inch Samsung TV and I have noticed my bill increased a measly three dollars a month!! And that is only when I change one of the settings to vivid but it does give a warning on the TV that. So consumes more electricity…
Everybody always wants something for nothing in this day and age!!
Bottom line is once you the user change the default settings, the product can’t be Energy Star compatible…The Energy Star settings are the default from the factory… This is true of almost Energy Star products, fridges, hot water heaters, etc…
To put it simply, in difference to most of you, if you want energy efficient products, don’t adjust the picture settings…
I have a 32″ Samsung bought in 2015 and my power bill jumped from $60 per month to $170 per month in my tiny studio rental.
I have two Samsung energy star TV’s I bought in 2015 and my light bill jumped to 200.00 and I was wondering why and now I know.
Unbelievable I have purchased at least 5 Samsung’s energy-efficient televisions I have a 5 bedroom home I also have purchased one for my mother so that’s six in total. My light bill has increased. But what’s amazing is my mother had a Magnavox TV before I replaced it with the Samsung Smart TV a year ago and she has a higher light bill now than ever before.
Very true I switched one of my TV and I started rent a room to a tenant that is hardly ever home but he loves having his TV on when he does come home and I’ve notice the bill jump up by about $350 at one month and no AC nothing extra just the two TVs going how do I join
Your tenant is doing something like growing pot or operating a meth lab. There is no way 2 TVs will push your electric bill up by anywhere near that amount!
What in the name of god makes you think a “meth lab” uses a lot of electricity?
My house is 2600 Sq. Ft. w/ 4 people living here plus my buddy {dog} and my monthly bill in the winter rarely exceeds $ 300.00. That’s Water,Elec,gas,waste water etc.. Possible Meth lab or Pot farm going on at your house. Check the trash for signs of meth content containers.
I bought 2 Samsung tvs, 50″ & 60″. My electric bills has increased since by 100.00.
you might want to re-read the article…the results showed it cost consumer an extra $100 – $200 over the 10 year lifetime of the TV, not per month or year….if your bill increased that much, you got other issues, but it’s not your TV’s.
If you’re going to actively pursue being in this and be considered honest and trustworthy, you might want to re-read the article…the results showed it cost consumer an extra $100 – $200 over the 10 year lifetime of the TV, not per month or year….if your bill increased that much, you got other issues, but it’s not your TV’s.
$100? Highly impossible I and unbelievable. Mine increase on a 60 inch Samsung was about two dollars a month