09 April 2023 , 07:33
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Anyone with a Sky Q box tucked under their TV might want to grab the remote control and head to the settings menu.
Hidden away on these popular devices is a way to make things go into a deep slumber which means less power is being used overnight.
With the government now ending its monthly financial support for millions of UK homes it's a good time to reduce energy consumption especially as the price of electricity remains ludicrously high.
To make sure your Sky Q box is running more efficiently, head to Settings > Setup and select Preferences. Here you'll find three different standby modes including the option to switch on Eco.
Once this is selected, the device will go into hibernation each night between 2.30am and 5:45am.
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Unless you are a night owl, it's unlikely the box will be being used during these times so it makes sense for it to stop sapping electricity.
Of course, if it's in a deep slumber you might be concerned that programmes set to record overnight won't be ready to watch when you wake up.
Sky has added new features to your remote control (SKY)Luckily, Sky has thought about that. Once switched on, Eco mode only becomes fully active if the box hasn't been set to tape anything.
You can also bring the device back to life should you wake up very early and are in need of a boxset binge. Just press the power button and the device will become active again - just be aware that Sky warns that it can take a few minutes before everything becomes fully operational.
Of course, switching on Eco mode isn't going to suddenly see your energy bill plummet but every little helps and it only takes seconds to activate.
Along with this Sky box trick, there are other ways of making sure your gadgets don't pile on the pounds.
For example, dimming the TV screen at night will reduce power and most tellies also feature eco modes which are worth switching on.
Turning off any electronic devices that aren't in use can also help along with switching over to smart lights such as Philips Hue. These clever bulbs not only much through less energy but can also be controlled via phones and will turn off automatically at set times.
The only device you do need to leave on is your router.
Most of the UK's biggest Internet Service Providers (ISPs), including BT and Sky, recommend leaving their Wi-Fi equipment on 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
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That's because endlessly switching on and off the router can send signals to your provider that there is a fault on the line.
When this happens, ISPs can place an emergency speed restriction on the service to make sure the customer stays connected.
"Constantly switching off the hub makes the line look unstable, meaning that your speed may be automatically reduced to improve the reliability of your broadband connection," BT explained.
Along with downloads getting slower, vital security updates might not be received during the night if the power is off.