TV set-top boxes and internet devices in the home not only provide entertainment and information – they also play a key role in reducing the carbon footprint and saving consumers billions of dollars.

New data published
Recent independent reports from D+R International, Ltd. highlight the impact of energy efficient set-top boxes and Internet devices such as routers and modems over the past decade, showing significant reductions in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, as well as significant cost savings for consumers.

What is driving change?
The nation’s leading Internet, cable, satellite and telecommunications service providers and equipment manufacturers are successfully reducing their energy use under two voluntary agreements supported by the NCTA, CableLabs and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®.

• Voluntary agreement on the use of set-top boxes (STB): Founded in 2012, the company covers the set-top boxes that consumers purchase from cable, satellite or phone companies, which serve more than 90% of the U.S. pay-TV market.
• Voluntary Agreement for Small Network Equipment (SNE): Founded in 2015, the company covers Internet modems, routers and other devices that deliver broadband services to more than 85% of the U.S. residential broadband market.

In numbers

• 18 billion dollars saved. Since 2012, energy-efficient set-top boxes and internet devices have saved U.S. consumers over $18 billion in energy costs under the voluntary STB agreement.
• More than 93 million tons of CO2 emissions avoidedThat’s equivalent to removing 21.9 million cars from the country’s roads for a year.
• 75% switch to IP devices. Thanks to SNE’s voluntary agreement, 75% of new set-top boxes in 2023 would be Internet Protocol (IP) devices, consuming just 24.3 kWh/year, compared to the 267 kWh/year consumed by DVRs in 2012.
  • Despite an eightfold increase in internet speed, internet-enabled home devices continue to consume energy efficiently.

These savings were achieved by meeting energy efficiency standards set by the program’s proponents, including the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the Natural Resources Defense Council for set-top boxes, and Pacific Gas & Electric for internet devices.

The industry’s commitment to sustainability promises a future where eco-friendly appliances are the norm and the benefits to consumers and the environment continue to grow.