Check your Sky TV box now as changing a simple setting will save you money

At the start of this month, millions of UK homes were hit by a record 54 percent hike in energy prices which could see some bills hit almost £2,000 per year. With things rocketing, now is a very good time to make sure you are not wasting any energy and there’s one very simple Sky Q trick that will definitely help to save a few precious pennies.

You might not be aware but buried in the settings of this popular set-top box is a special “Eco” mode. As the name suggest, this basically puts the box into a digital slumber during the night and helps cut down on the amount of energy it munches through whilst you are tucked up in bed.

Sky says that once activated, Eco mode will automatically kick in between 2.30am and 5:45am – that’s the time when the majority of customers aren’t using the devices.

To check if your box is set to save you some money simply head to Settings > Setup and select Preferences. Here you’ll find three different standby modes including the option to switch on Eco.

Now, before you get worried that your SKy box won’t store your overnight boxset binges it’s worth noting that Eco mode will only become active if the box hasn’t been set to record anything.

Once a show has been primed between 2.30am and 5:45am the Sky Q device will stay active – if nothing is set to record then it will go into hibernation for a few hours.

READ MORE: Best Sky TV Deals: Get Discounts On Sky Glass And Sky Q Packages

If you should wake up early and fancy tuning into Sky then you can wake the box although Sky warns that it can take a few minutes before everything becomes fully operational.

Clearly, Eco mode isn’t going to end your electricity bill shock but small changes like this can shave a few pence off your monthly outgoings and it’s well worth switching on if you don’t use your Sky Q device overnight.

Along with that hidden trick, there’s more good news for Sky users with the firm finally giving customers the broadband speed boost they deserve thanks to the launch of its new Gigafast plan. This service, which is available from today, is fully capable of beaming the web into living rooms at speeds in excess of 890Mbps. At that rapid rate, it would take just 45 seconds to download a full HD Hollywood blockbuster which is around 13 times faster than the current UK average.

This upgrade means Sky is now in the same speed league as two of its biggest rivals with BT and Virgin Media already offering hyperfast downloads to millions of users across the UK.

Sky says that its new Gigafast plan will be available to new and existing customers although homes will need to be connected to the latest full-fibre technology if they want to upgrade.

If you fancy supercharging your Sky broadband then prices will start from £55 per month which sounds pricey but is actually around £7 cheaper than Virgin’s premium Gig1 plan.

You’ll need to sign up for an 18-month contract and the deal includes Sky’s usual Speed Guarantee which offers customers their money back if speeds drop below a certain level.

This is certainly what some broadband users have been waiting for but before you sign up it’s worth making sure you really need these epic downloads.

If you simply send a few emails, surf the web and watch the odd boxset on Netflix then Gigafast is way too fast.

However, start downloading endless games to your PS5 and live in a house where everyone is using the web at the same time and this could be the answer to your prayers.