Question by Mary Jane

Home electronics use power even when they appear to be "off" to power remote controls, digital displays and instant-on features. In fact, current Energy Star standards for home electronics are out of date and only measure the power used when the device is "off" or in standby mode. (Energy Star will release updated energy efficiency standards for televisions next year.) According to Energy Star, Americans spend more money to power DVD players when turned off than when actually in use.  
 
NRDC measured the energy use of set top boxes in both "ready mode" (what most of us would perceive as "off") and in active mode. Your husband can read the results (and policy recommendations) in the technical paper, Cable and Satellite Set-Top Boxes: Opportunities for Energy Savings. TV set-top boxes -- digital cable boxes, satellite receivers and DVRs -- typically use about 30 to 40 watts every day, whether the TV is on or not. 
 
Today's TVs, when combined with related products like DVD players and set-top boxes, make up about 10 percent of a household's annual electricity bill. But as our TVs get bigger and better, our electricity bills are also rising. The easiest way to save energy with your current entertainment system is to unplug the electronics you don't use everyday, like DVD players and stereos. Plugging all of your electronics into a power strip allows you to cut off the power supply to all of them at once. You may not want to cut off the power to your cable box or DVR but a power strip for the TV is an easy way to cut down on energy consumption.