Turn off your internet box at night to save money

Internet boxes and TV decoders in our homes constantly consume electricity. But do we have to turn them off every night to save money, as some organizations advise?

Long neglected, the electricity consumption of the devices we use every day has become a major concern for both environmental and economic reasons. Between the impact on the environment and the ever-increasing cost of energy, it is now impossible to ignore this aspect of our daily lives. Thus, with the energy crisis and various government measures, regulated electricity prices in France have increased by 59% between 2020 and 2024. The last increase has been since February, with the cost of a kilowatt hour (kWh) rising from 0.2276 to 0.2516 euros – or 8.6% more on the base rate, without the peak-of-peak hours option. In short, from now on, every vote counts!

In this context, organizations like Ademe regularly advise on how to conserve our resources and reduce bills. And in addition to the measures linked to the insulation of houses, the regulation of heating and the use of household appliances, the Ecological Transition Agency points to the use of Internet boxes, which are accused of wasting electricity due to the fact that they are permanently on. When not in use. And his recommendation is simple: it will be enough to turn it off during periods of inactivity and especially at night to make significant savings. But what is it really?

In its latest investigative report on the impact of digital technology, published on March 21, 2024, Arsep (the “policeman” of electronic communications) took a close look at the electricity consumption of TV boxes and their associated decoders. According to those announced, the box consumes between 10 and 25 W depending on their brand, their generation and their technology. Assuming we turn off the “consumer” box every night, ie for 8 hours, for a year, we will reduce its consumption by 25x8x365 or 73,000 Wh (73 kWh). At current electricity prices, the annual savings would be 73×0.2516 or 18.36 euros. With a more economical box, the reduction in consumption would be 10x8x365 or 29,200 Wh (29.2 kWh). and annual savings of 29.2×0.2516 or 7.37 euros. So no luck really.

The results are more mixed with the TV decoder associated with the box. Because if the gap between the models is still very wide (from about 2 to 18 W), this time we should consider the standby mode in which these boxes spend most of the time, a mode that obviously reduces their consumption. But assuming we turn it off completely and systematically when we’re not using it, for 16 hours a day, we’ll save between 12 Kwh per year, or 3 euros for the quietest, and 105 kWh per year “at best.” ” Will save, or 26 euros for the most greedy.

We see, even though it is not zero, the savings made are not extraordinary. Especially with the latest boxes and decoders, which consume much less energy than older models, and which have various energy-saving functions such as automatic standby as well as scheduled Wi-Fi cutoff. In addition, you should be aware that by cutting the Wi-Fi network, completely closing the box usually prevents many connected objects from working, which can cause various security problems in homes equipped with them. Not to mention that, in general, electronic devices suffer from frequent switching on and off which can damage their components and eventually cause breakdown.

The fact is that if shutting down all these equipment at night or during periods out of use has a small financial impact on an individual scale – between 10 and 45 euros per year – it is quite different at a global level. collective, as published by Arsep. The report which states that all French boxes and decoders consume three times more electricity than the fixed networks of all operators. It is up to each individual to see in their own soul and conscience what they want and can do for the common good and the planet.