Entertainment tips

Entertain these cost saving ideas.

• Turn off your electronic entertainment devices when you aren’t using them and watch your savings add up.
• Computers, TVs, VCRs, CD and DVD players and other home electronics use energy even when they are turned off. In the average home, 40 per cent of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. Consider unplugging your electronics or turning off the power bar when you’re finished with them.
• A plasma T.V. that’s the same size as your older T.V. can use twice the energy. And the bigger your T.V., the more power it uses.
• Save up to $57 a year by shutting down your computer for 12 hours a day.
• Screen savers don’t save power; they just protect your screen. Instead, use the sleep-mode or energy-saving feature on your computer and save $18 a year.
• With a sleep mode, the average computer uses 200 kWh less power per year.
• Save power by turning off your computer monitor when you'll be away from your computer for more than 10 minutes.
• Consider using a laptop instead of a desktop computer. Laptops use up to 90 per cent less power.
• The smaller your computer monitor is, the less electricity it will use.
• Flat-screen LCD computer monitors use about 66 per cent less electricity than standard monitors.
• Turning a computer on and off doesn't use any extra electricity and won't damage your computer. Shutting it down reduces the wear on your computer and cuts down on your power use.
• Purchase ENERGY STAR® qualified electronics. They’ll help you save power and money because they're the most energy-efficient products on the market.