EPA Names DIRECTV as a 2014 ENERGY STAR® Partner Of The Year

Apr 3, 2014 12:00 PM ET

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., April 3, 2014 /3BL Media/ – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named DIRECTV as a 2014 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for its leadership in manufacturing products that earn the ENERGY STAR, the government-backed symbol of energy efficiency. This is the second consecutive ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award in addition to three consecutive ENERGY STAR Excellence for Energy Efficient Product Design awards during 2010-2012.

DIRECTV earned this year’s EPA award for deploying millions of energy-efficient receivers, raising the profile of efficiency among millions of prospective and current customers, as well as thousands of employees, and driving greater consumer savings through innovative partnerships with efficiency program partners. DIRECTV’s accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 29.

Over the last year DIRECTV has made significant contributions to energy efficiency, including:

•  Certifying more than 10 million set-top box receivers this year and more than 50 million since joining the program in 2009.

•  Saving consumers more than $80 million in 2013 and $500 million cumulatively on their energy bills.

•  Offering greater savings for customers through the power-wise Genie™ Whole-Home DVR and Genie Mini’s.

•  Communicating the efficiency message to millions of DIRECTV customers and more than 30,000 technicians and staff, through e-newsletters and e-bills, social media, PSAs on more than 50 networks a week, an in-house employee training channel, and messaging sent to millions of deployed receivers.

•  Partnering with key efficiency programs and research organizations to carry the efficiency of set-top boxes further and more quickly.

•  Continuing to deploy the RVU remote user interface technology (www.rvualliance.org), which drives down energy consumption even further by enabling a receiver-less connection to compatible RVU client devices including Smart TV models from Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and others.

“DIRECTV stands alone among television providers in receiving ENERGY STAR recognition, having demonstrated unparalleled leadership in our industry since joining the ENERGY STAR Set-top Box Program in 2009,” said Romulo Pontual, executive vice president and CTO of DIRECTV. “Every receiver that DIRECTV is purchasing today, including the DIRECTV Genie and Genie Mini’s, is ENERGY STAR qualified, underscoring our commitment to the program. We are proud to be recognized by the EPA for the fifth consecutive year and will continue to improve our environmental stewardship effort.”

“DIRECTV is helping consumers save money and reduce harmful carbon pollution by producing energy-efficient ENERGY STAR products,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe. “This outstanding effort in product manufacturing demonstrates a commitment to reducing our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.”

Through 2013, with help from ENERGY STAR, American families and businesses have saved $297 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2014 Partner of the Year Awards are given to a variety of organizations to recognize their contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through superior energy efficiency. Award winners are selected from the 16,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

About DIRECTV
DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is one of the world’s leading providers of digital television entertainment services delivering a premium video experience through state-of-the-art technology, unmatched programming and industry leading customer service to more than 37 million customers in the U.S. and Latin America. In the U.S., DIRECTV offers its over 20 million customers access to more than 190 HD channels and Dolby-Digital® 5.1 theater-quality sound, access to exclusive sports programming such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET™, Emmy-award winning technology and higher customer satisfaction than the leading cable companies for 13 years running. DIRECTV Latin America, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American countries, leads the pay TV category in technology, programming and service, delivering an unrivaled digital television experience to more than 17 million customers. DIRECTV sports and entertainment properties include two Regional Sports Networks (Rocky Mountain and Pittsburgh), and minority ownership interests in Root Sports Northwest and Game Show Network. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit www.directv.com.

About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money, and help protect the environment for future generations. 16,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, and buildings. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).