Since 2008, the government has been working to make household and consumer products more efficient. In its latest move, it met with environmental advocates and cable & satellite companies to form an agreement to make set top boxes “greener.”
Many people don’t realize that set top boxes (those boxes that let you watch digital television and can let you access the Internet through your TV) are energy vampires and draw power even when they’re not on. This new agreement will help many television-watching Americans save money on their energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint.
By 2017, the energy used by about 90 million set top boxes will be cut 10% to 45% (depending on the type of set top box that you have). Overall, the agreement will save enough energy to power 7,000 homes, will eliminate the emission of more than five million tons of carbon dioxide, and will save Americans roughly $1 billion every year.
In an article by the LA Times, Noah Horowitz, a senior scientist for the Natural Resources Defense Council said, “It’s extremely significant when household names like Comcast, Motorola, DirecTV and AT&T all acknowledge that their TV set-top boxes are using billions of dollars’ worth of electricity each year.”
The participants in this agreement include: the United States Department of Energy (DOE), the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP), and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA).
Don’t forget – at Oliver, we offer electrical services including installations and repairs to help you keep your energy bills low. If you’re interested, give us a call!