Set top boxes

Set top boxes

The switch to Digital television will affect all households in the UK between 2008 and 2012. Once your region has undergone the switchover, every television set will need to be compatible with a digital signal to be able to receive broadcasts.

If you are planning to replace your TV set, you can buy an Integrated Digital TV (IDTV) which has the digital receiver built in. If you are not planning to replace your TV, you can convert your existing set to receive a digital signal by purchasing a set top box; these are widely available from electrical retailers and compatible with the vast majority of TV sets, even black and white models..

Why buy Energy Saving Recommended?

Energy Saving Recommended set top boxes are measured on both their standby and on-mode power consumption to ensure they are among the most energy efficient products on the market.

All Energy Saving Recommended endorsed set top boxes currently use around 2W of power when on standby and 6.3W for a Single RF Tuner or 8.3W for a dual RF Tuner when switched on. Single RF Tuners only allow you to record the channel you are watching while dual RF Tuners allow you to watch one channel while recording another.

The savings

An Energy Saving Recommended standard set top box consumes 50% less electricity than a typical set top box and therefore will cost half as much to run.

How the savings add up

Set top boxes are inexpensive to buy, but by 2010 they could be costing UK households around £660m every year in electricity - that's more than £7 per box. If all the set top boxes bought new or replaced between 2008 and 2010 were Energy Saving Recommended models, this cost could be reduced by around £110 million, and CO ₂ emissions for 2010 would be reduced by over 400,000 tonnes.

Look for the logo

Always look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo before you purchase your set top box. It's your guarantee that these products are the most energy efficient in their category will cost less to run and help prevent climate change.

Find Energy Saving Recommended set top boxes

Always look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo

Other energy saving tips

Always remember to turn your TV off rather leaving it on standby. An amazing £915 million is wasted in the UK every year by people not turning things off standby.