Electronics

Appliances and home electronics account for about 20 percent of the typical home's electricity usage. Here are a few simple tips to help you use your household electronics more efficiently.

Home Office Tips

• When in the market to buy new office equipment such as computers, monitors, printers, and fax machines, opt for newer energy-efficient versions.
• Always turn off equipment when not in use.
• Your computer uses less power during periods of inactivity when you use the sleep or hibernate mode on your computer. Better yet, shut down your computer when you're not using it.
• Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade – they use much less energy than desktop computers.
• Learn more about personal computer efficiency from the U.S. Department of Energy's Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency.

 

Home Electronic Tips

• Many appliances use electricity even when not in use, including chargers for cell phones, PDAs, batteries and digital cameras. Unplug your chargers when they're not in use.
• Plug all electronics into power strips, and switch off when not in use to make things easy.
• Using rechargeable batteries for products like cordless phones and PDAs is more cost effective than single use batteries.
• Look for energy-saving ENERGY STAR home electronics when purchasing new ones.