Because televisions use a different kind of electricity

From The Metro:

California will ban power-hungry televisions after it became the first US state to pass eficiency standards for sets... (1)

The commission estimates that TVs account for about 10 percent of a home's electricity use. (2)

The fear is that energy use will rise as people buy bigger, more elaborate TVs, put more of them in their homes, and watch them longer... (3)

"We have every confidence this industry will be able to meet the rule and then some," Energy Commissioner Julia Levin said "It will save consumers money (4), it will help protect public health (5), and it will spark (6) innovation."...

Californians buy about 11 percent of the 35.4 million TVs sold in the U.S. each year, according to industry figures. (7)

1) The first state to take bribes from a large TV manufacturer, which will mean existing stockpiles are obsolete.

2) That seems surprisingly high. Do TV's really use that much, or are US homes otherwise incredibly energy efficient?

3) They already watch four hours a day, allegedly. There's only so much you can watch, surely?

4) If consumers were concerned about saving energy, they'd buy a smaller set, surely? By all means, make it clear on the packaging how much electricity a TV set uses and what that costs per hour, but apart from that, people have to make up their own minds. If we go with 300 watts for an large-ish TV, and $0.12 per kWh price, that means a TV costs, er, less than four cents an hour to run. That's hardly terrifying, is it?

5) Wot?

6) Poorly chosen word, methinks.

7) Wot? California is about 11% of the population of the USA and they buy about 11% of all TV sets? Horrors!