Photo: Ground Picture (Shutterstock)
If you still have a set-top DVR or a cable box, it’s probably using more energy than you think. Per How-to Geek, DVR boxes could use 25 wats or more and cable boxes can use 15. Televisions, too, are an energy vampire, but you can tackle these issues by getting rid of your DVR or cable box, using smart power strips, turning down your brightness, and deactivating quick-start settings and standby modes. Deactivate the ability of your video game consoles to instantly download games and updates, too. (When I’m not using my TV, I unplug its entire power strip from the wall, taking out my PS4 with it, and plug it all back in when I want to play a video game.)
