Forty per cent of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the product is turned off
Think your home electronics don't use that much energy—think again! Even when you're not using your electronics, they're using power.
Read the following tips and learn how you can reduce the amount of power your electronics are using, even when they're turned off.
Save money
| Savings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tip 1 | Shut down your computer and monitor for 12 hours a day. | $51/year |
| Tip 2 | Use the sleep mode or energy-saving feature on your computer instead of the screen saver when you aren't using your computer for a few minutes. | $20/year |
Save power
- Turn off your power bar or unplug your devices when you're not using them
- Use sleep mode for your computer and reduce the power your monitor uses by 200 kWh per year
- Purchase a laptop computer as it uses 40 per cent less power than a desktop model
- Consider your options when purchasing a new TV. Not all TVs use the same amount of power
For example, LCD TVs use one third (1/3) less power than a plasma TV of the same size
- Use a flat-screen LCD computer monitor and use about 66 per cent less power than a standard monitor
- Purchase ENERGY STAR® qualified electronics. They'll help you save power and money because they're the most energy-efficient products on the market
Save the environment
The Saskatchewan Waste Electronic Equipment Program (SWEEP) is offered by SARCAN and allows Saskatchewan residents to recycle most electronics at SARCAN locations within the province.
Cell phones can also be recycled by the Canadian Diabetes Association or through Staples Business Depot and Future Shop locations within the province. Use the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council Where to Recycle in Saskatchewan database to find out where else you can recycle your old electronics.
Things you can do
- Turn off your electronic devices when you aren't using them; this is the easiest way to save money
- 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
