Consumers who are looking for the best deal on their cable TV service and want to feel they are making a greener choice in the process will be pleased to learn that a voluntary agreement has been put in place to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 5 million metric tons per year.
The deal, which involves the cable and consumer electronics industries, as well as the Department of Energy and energy efficiency groups, creates voluntary energy efficiency standards for set-top boxes.
The agreement includes set-top boxes from cable, satellite, and telephone companies. It runs until 2017, and requires the industry to make model-specific set-top box energy use information available to the public.
An annual independent audit must be conducted to make sure the boxes are working at the levels that are outlined in the agreement. The Energy Department will have the authority to test the set-top boxes under the Energy Star verification program.
New set-top box standards will save electricity
The new standards will boost the energy efficiency of set-top boxes by between 10 and 45 percent by 2017. According to the Energy Department, the set-top box efficiency standards will save enough electricity over the course of a year to power 700,000 homes.
This work outs to more than $1 billion in savings per year, and could grow with the increase in popularity of whole-home devices and higher demand for DVRs and HD set-tops over time.
Managing energy consumption is a priority for consumers
Americans are not likely to give up their cable TV or their electronic gadgets anytime soon, which means that managing their consumption will become more of a priority in the months and years to come. The cable industry has an interest in providing a positive experience for consumers so they will continue to subscribe to its services.
With more households having to keep a close eye on their budget, the news that they can will be able to see real savings while continuing to keep their cable service will no doubt be very welcome.
The energy-saving set-top boxes will appeal to consumers who are inspired more by the idea of keeping costs down than saving the environment. For subscribers who want to make a greener choice about their entertainment, the energy-saving boxes should appeal to them as well.
