Put it to Sleep

• Putting your computer to sleep or turning it off when not in use is the best way to save energy with any computer. Sleep mode, which typically uses 15 watts or less, will save you the time it takes to boot the computer after short intervals of inactivity. An easy trick is to set the power settings on your computer to automatically go to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity.

• Don’t be fooled by screensavers with an animated screen or images – they don’t save electricity. Only putting the computer in sleep mode will save on watts.

Power Down

• Plugging your computer and all accessories into a power strip allows you to turn them all off at once using the switch on the power strip to avoid "phantom load." Phantom load is the small amount of power used by most electrical appliances when they are turned off but still plugged in.

• Use rechargeable batteries whenever possible. Rechargeable batteries cost a little more up front, but will save you money in the long run and keep discarded batteries out of the landfills.

• Look for the ENERGY STAR ® label when purchasing new electronics. ENERGY STAR qualified products generally use about half the electricity of standard products. In some cases ENERGY STAR qualified electronics can save as much as 90% of the energy required by other products.