Buy An Energy Star Digital TV Converter Box

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Updated at 1 pm EST 8/26/08

After February 17, 2009, American TV switches to all-digital programming.

That means anyone who does not pay for cable or satellite TV will have to have a DTA (digital-to-analog) converter box, to the tune of 22 million units. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that conventional DTAs could consume more than 3 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) per year and cost $270 million annually in electricity.

But Energy Star has come to the rescue. DTA converter boxes that have earned the Energy Star label are 50% more efficient than standard models, using no more than 8 watts in On Mode and 1 watt in Sleep Mode. Plus they automatically power down after 4 hours or less of inactivity.

What does this mean? If all DTA converter boxes sold in the U.S. qualified, we'd save 13 billion kWh and $1 billion in energy costs over the lifetime of the products—reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking more than 1 million cars off the road.

Find qualified Energy Star TV converter boxes. And don't forget to look for Energy Star labels for all your electronics and appliance needs. You'll save money in the long run, as well as help fight for a cleaner planet.

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