Why a box draws power when it is “off”
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory measured set-top boxes drawing 13 W on and 12 W in standby: switching them “off” saved almost nothing. Boxes with a recorder are worse, at 22–25 W even in standby, because the disk and the tuner stay ready for recordings and updates.
In Berkeley Lab’s home measurements, set-top boxes were among the biggest standby loads, together with TVs and printers. A recorder box can cost more a year than the TV it feeds.
How to cut it without missing a recording
Measure first: a smart plug with energy metering shows the real draw. Some boxes have an eco or deep-standby setting that cuts it sharply; try that before anything else.
Otherwise, let the plug switch the box off at night and on again in the morning. Two caveats: a recorder misses what is scheduled while it is off, and a box that installs updates at night may need a later off time. If the box belongs to your provider, check their advice first.
What a TV box costs a year
| Type | On | Standby | A year* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box without recorder | 15 W | 12 W | €31 |
| Recorder box (DVR) | 24 W | 22 W | €55 |
| Wi-Fi router (always on) | 8 W | 8 W | €20 |
* 4 hours of TV a day, at €0.28 per kWh. Power: Berkeley Lab and How-To Geek measurements; router: EnergySage.
Questions
Does a set-top box use electricity when it is off?
Yes, nearly as much as when on: Berkeley Lab measured 12 W in standby against 13 W on, and recorder boxes draw 22–25 W. Only unplugging, a smart plug or the box’s own deep-standby setting brings it close to zero.
Is it safe to switch a set-top box off at the plug?
Usually, yes. It will miss recordings scheduled while it is off, may take a minute or two to start, and some providers send updates at night. Pick an off time that suits your viewing and keep it on for scheduled recordings.
How much does a smart plug save on a set-top box?
Switched off for 8 hours a night, a recorder box drawing 22 W saves about 64 kWh a year, and a 12 W box about 35 kWh. Set your own tariff in the calculator above: it shows how many months the plug needs to pay for itself.
Other devices
Sources: Eurostat: EU average household electricity price, first half of 2026 · Berkeley Lab: standby power of set-top boxes · How-To Geek: do cable and satellite boxes still waste electricity? · Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: standby power · ENERGY STAR product specifications · US Department of Energy: estimating appliance energy use · EU product database for energy labels (EPREL) · EU Regulation 2023/826: standby and off-mode power · Our World in Data / Ember: carbon intensity of electricity, 2025 · Updated 2026-11