As energy costs continue to rise, members are looking for ways to reduce their use, but there are a lot of misconceptions about what is really effective.
Myth: Computers, monitors, and other office equipment will use less energy and last longer if they are left running all of the time.
Fact: Turning equipment off overnight does not shorten its life, and the small surge of power that occurs when some devices are turned on is much smaller than the energy used by running equipment when it is not needed.
In fact, leaving computers and other office equipment on overnight and on weekends wastes significant amounts of energy and also adds to the wear and tear on the equipment. In general, turn off equipment you are not using or make sure that energy-saving features on networks or individual machines are enabled.
Some office equipment, including printers and scanners, features small transformers that use energy even when the equipment is turned off.
Plug all such devices into a power strip so that they can be shut down completely with one flick of the switch.
Reprinted from Kansas Country Living - September 2007
