[Green Thursdays] Unplug That Cable Box!

Image via Todd Hiesler, NY Times

Did you know that the cable box sitting on top of your television is the number one energy-inefficient item in your home? Even turning it off doesn't do much. According to the New York Times, the on/off switch merely powers off the clock and keeps the box running.

The problem is, when you unplug these things, they take forever to reboot. Most people are too lazy to wait the 45 seconds for everything to power up again.

In the future, buying a cable box with the "Energy Star" label will guarantee some energy reduction, but not much. We'll just have to wait and see.

So you can wait around or do what I've done and just give up cable. Life really does go on even without Bravo. Hard to believe, I know.