computer

The computer is a very useful element in today’s homes, so tips to save on its use are always welcome.

A good use of the computer to save energy

What would our modern lifestyles be without the indisputable company of the computer? Thanks to this unique device we manage to organize ourselves, get in touch with people from all corners of the planet, and we can even work and entertain ourselves on the same screen. However, we must know how to use it, take care of it, maintain it and program it, so that the eternal company of the computer does not become a great expense in our electricity bill.

Of all the (peripheral) elements of the computer, the one with the highest power consumption is the monitor or the screen . For this reason, when acquiring it, it is well worth spending a little more and choosing a flat screen (LED, even) with low consumption. You must remember that when you turn off the computer, the screen remains in a suspended state, like hibernation, so you must turn it off using its button, and even disconnect it from the electrical outlet to prevent accidents and to avoid minimal consumption of its LED indicator .

But the monitor or the screen is not the only thing that has an extra consumption, even turned off. For example, the speakers, the independent webcam, the optical mouse and other elements have a minimum consumption in the hibernation state . For this reason, you can connect all the equipment to a consumption regulator (which prevents accidents due to the change in voltage in the electrical network, with storms, winds or overloads) to completely cut off all the elements of the computer.

Cleaning is also saving

Remember to always keep the computer clean and in good condition, to maximize its useful life. Especially the cabinet (the CPU), which must have adequate ventilation, good space on its back and sides, and must remain free from the influence of smoke, dust and others . Remove the chalk boards from the room, and make sure there is no carpet. If you smoke, try to do so away from the computer, and avoid shaking and raising dust , especially when the computer is running.

Optimize computer to reduce consumption

In addition to these tips, perhaps one of the most important is energy saving programming .  This sets how many minutes the machine can go idle to send the monitor into a screen saver state. Although it is a very attractive protection resource, the best idea to save money is to determine that if there has been no activity in 3 to 5 minutes, the monitor or the screen should be turned off. This will save you a lot of energy . Then when there is activity (mouse moved, key pressed or whatever) the monitor will turn on automatically.

You can also regulate how many minutes without activity the computer will go into sleep or hibernation . Today you can have buttons called “green” or “ecological buttons”, which can be independent, integrated into the cabinet or also into the keyboard , which allow the entire computer to be suspended just by pressing them.

Program your computer to minimize consumption , and remember to turn it off when it is not in use, even if you are going to be away for fifteen minutes: it will be fifteen minutes of energy savings!