Home Office Part 2 – Computers

Computers are the biggest offenders for energy use in the office.  Some computers use as much as half the amount of electricity in the whole home office.  If you leave on just one desktop monitor overnight, this could use as much electricity as a printer running 800 copies of A4 paper.  Here are some tips to help your give your office healthier computer habits! 

Repair

Repair, refurbish and recondition instead of throwing away. Aim for local repairs to save on transportation energy when sending back to the original manufacturer. 

Energy efficiency

Look for energy rated electronics computers and laptops.  Laptops use up to one sixth less energy to power than desktop computers.  Laptops do not use as many materials or energy to manufacture.  LCD and flat screens use up to 50 percent less energy than the desktop monitor.  Energy efficient computers are coming onto the market, although currently they do not have the best performance or a high specification. 

Powerdown

Do not leave your computer on standby overnight or for longer periods of time.  Switch off and unplug when not in use.  Booting up the computer in the morning does not use as much energy as leaving it in sleep mode or plugged in.  Switch off the screen when not in use or find a black/blank screensaver – as the monitor runs at full power when in screensaver mode.  Use Blackle – the black version of Google as your homepage.  Use a gadget like the ′eco button′ which is an illuminated visual reminder (and handy button to pause the power) to save electricity when your computer is not being used.  Put the computer and peripherals on a power strip so that all can be turned off at once – never leave plugs connected to the power source.  Set sleep mode after 5 or 10 minutes or inactivity.

Save

Take on board these tips to not only save money on the utility bills, but help reduce carbon emissions from the electricity you use too.

Recycling

Most manufacturers have a take back programme – make sure you use it and never throw your computer equipment away.  For an outdated but usable computer or laptop, use a free recycling network to find it a good home.

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