Cable Box Power Consumption Down Due to Energy Efficiency Push: Audit

A voluntary 2012 energy efficiency agreement among CTA, NCTA and CableLabs members cut annual energy consumption by cable boxes nearly in half between 2013 and 2020, even when accounting for declining numbers of pay-TV subscribers, said an independent audit report Monday by D+R International. It said the average weighted power consumption of annual new set-top box purchases fell from more than 120 kWh/year in 2013 to less than 64 kWh/year last year. It said the decline in energy consumption meant $2.2 billion savings on subscribers' utility bills and nearly 11.9 million fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.