A staple of American culture may be a detriment to the environment. Even when switched off your cable box uses lots of electricity. Manufacturers, cable trade associations, and government agencies are working to address the problem.
In 2010, American cable boxes used 27 billion kilowatts of electricity— roughly equal to the yearly power output of nine American coal-fired power plants—according to a Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) study. The NRDC also found that approximately two-thirds of this energy was consumed when the cable box were off.
Unless unplugged, cable boxes drain energy, but they still have work to do when the screen isn’t flickering. During off hours boxes receive updates from cable companies, and by remaining plugged in, the TV is ready to watch whenever viewers click on the tube.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new cable box energy standards, effective Jan. 1, 2013, aims to curb energy use. A coalition of cable providers and manufactures will be producing new energy efficient systems that will use 30 percent less energy than previous models and meet the EPA’s 3.0 Energy Star efficiency levels.
According to the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) “at least 90 percent of all new set-top boxes purchased and deployed after 2013 will meet” the new standards.
