Reducing the consumption of electricity is important, not only to save on bills but also to respect the environment. This means that we can all contribute to this noble cause by avoiding waste, which daily involves our appliances, the lights of our home and, last but not least, our computer.
A normal computer operating for at least nine hours a day can consume up to 175 kWh in a year. Not to mention the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. However, a few simple and useful measures are all that is needed, such as reducing the brightness of the screen (with the energy-saving option) or inserting the standby mode if you don’t use it for more than two minutes, to save on your electricity bills, avoid wasting electricity and thus protect the environment.
First of all, set the power saving option on your PC: in many models you can access it by clicking directly on the battery icon. If possible, try also to set up more than one energy profile in order to obtain the maximum saving according to the different occasions of use. Then, check if the energy saving settings of your computer‘s operating system can enable the spin down functions of your hard drive when your computer is not in use for a certain period of time. This will allow you to save up to 90 percent of the energy consumed by your hard drive. In addition, some PCs have the ability to monitor and adjust the CPU power according to the processor load: this is also useful for energy saving purposes. Another important action is to turn off the screensaver as it consumes more power than simply blacking out the monitor.
It is essential to be aware of how you use your device. For this reason, it is a good idea to turn off your internet connection when you don’t need it. Always turn off your computer if you know that you will not be using it for at least a few hours. Standby is responsible for almost 30 per cent of your electricity bill, a waste that, in monetary terms, translates into a figure of around €250 per year.
For the same reason, remember also to unplug during the periods when the PC is not used. Computers, in fact, absorb electrical power even when off. Alternatively, use a multi-socket with switch so as to turn off together the printer, speakers, scanner, modem and other peripherals connected.