Home and Work Tip Sheet
It is common in every office or home setting to leave computers and copiers on for extended periods of time without using them. The equipment sitting idle consumes energy continuously, ultimately wasting a large portion of electricity used to power the devices.
When purchasing computer equipment, copiers, fax machines, monitors, printers, scanners and other multifunction office equipment; be sure to look for systems that feature the ENERGY STAR® logo. These cost no more than their less efficient counterparts. They power down, or "go to sleep," when not in use to automatically reduce electrical usage by over 50%. Approximately 70% of the computer industry is participating in the ENERGY STAR® program. Product scanners have improved in recent years. Soft power-down (9 watts in stand-by) and automatic power-up scanners (22 watts while scanning) are now available.
If copy machines or computers are not being used for extended periods of time, such as during lunch breaks or meetings, then some or all of the equipment can be turned off. You can turn off your computer’s display monitor and printer while leaving the main computer CPU on without any adverse effects on the equipment. This typically saves up to 60% of the operating costs of the whole computer system. An equipment start-up/shut-down schedule is often the best way to accomplish this measure.
Equipment Requirements
Computer equipment labeled with the ENERGY STAR® logo must meet the following requirements:
- Computers: automatically power down to 30 watts or less when not in use
- Monitors: automatically power down to 30 watts or less when not in use
- Printers: automatically power down to 15 to 45 watts
- Scanners: automatically enter a sleep mode after 15 minutes of idle time