How to save energy with your computer

Today many Americans are doing their best to take part in the “green” craze from cutting gas consumption to buying the right light bulbs, however 90% of consumers are failing to realize that a major source of pollution sitting right in front of them is their PERSONAL COMPUTER. In fact, by taking a few simple steps to manage your PC’s power consumption, it is estimated that you can save up to $75 per year and if 100,000 computers are thus enabled, we can save the planet over 11 million pounds of CO2 emissions, equivalent to planting more than 1000 acres of trees, burning more than 13,000 barrels of oil and saving more emissions than 5000 cars driving from NY to LA.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Turn your computer off completely when you know you will not be using it for more than several hours, such as overnight.
2. You can still save energy when your computer is not shut down completely by setting the power management functions on your computer to put both your monitor and computer (CPU, hard drive, etc.) into “sleep” mode after a certain amount of time of non-use, which saves energy when you are not actively using your computer. Set your monitor to go into standby mode first, followed by your computer.
3. Increase your memory (RAM) to reduce disk usage, which can be a power draw.
4. If you have a desktop computer, upgrade to an LCD flat panel monitor instead of a CRT monitor, which can account for half the energy use of a desktop computer. According to the EPA, the use of an ENERGY STAR qualified monitor can save up to 85% of the electricity used by a standard model.
5. Did you know that the power supplies for your peripherals (such as your mobile phone or iPod) still draw power even if the peripheral is not plugged in? If you plug all your electronics into one surge protector, you can easily switch them all off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
6. Shut off that printer. Printers also have a sleep mode that still consumes a significant amount of power.
7. Replace wireless mice and keyboards with wired mice. Wired mice and wired keyboards use relatively little energy and they avoid unnecessary wasting of batteries.

Tips & Warnings

• Consumers can also easily visit www.support.com or call 1800-PC-SUPPORT and a computer-care expert can "green" the PC for free.