GOVERNMENT URGES GREENER DIGITAL TV SERVICES
10 February 2006 - Defra

Digital TV broadcasters, manufacturers and retailers are being urged by the government not to promote or sell those set top boxes which waste energy.

Environment Minister Elliot Morley is writing to all the major digital TV broadcasters, service providers and retailers urging them to sign up to the EU Code of Conduct which sets energy efficiency standards for digital TV equipment.

The code, already supported by BSkyB, could save UK consumers from wasting millions of pounds on electricity bills as well as benefiting the environment, said Mr Morley.

Appliances such as TVs, computers and hi-fi's left on standby waste more than £740 million worth of energy a year and cause more than four million tonnes of extra carbon emissions, adding to the problem of climate change.

Mr Morley said:

"We have seen a dramatic increase in the sale of digital TV equipment such as set top boxes, and millions of energy-wasting products are flooding through high-street retailers.

"Consumer demand for new equipment is set to continue, as the nation switches to digital TV. With a boom in demand, however, comes a risk of greater energy consumption, we could end up wasting enough electricity to power 850,000 homes a year."

Defra estimates that there could be 80 million set-top boxes in the UK by 2010.

http://www.defra.gov.uk

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