Steve Jobs, co-founder and longtime CEO of Apple, said as early as 1990: “The computer is the most remarkable tool we’ve ever been given. It’s like a bicycle for our mind.”
And in fact, everyday life without a computer is no longer imaginable 30 years later. Most professions these days are tied to the use of computers. And there is also a lot of work being done on screens for schools, universities and the like. There are also leisure activities such as watching series or gaming.
With increasing use, however, power consumption and the associated electricity costs and environmental pollution also increase.
5 simple tips to save electricity on the computer
1. Reduce the screen brightness
A screen at full brightness not only uses a lot of energy, but can also tire your eyes more quickly. It is therefore worth reducing the brightness both to save electricity and for the benefit of your health.
2. Reduce the load
Programs that you do not actually need often work in the background. Check your running programs regularly and close them if necessary. Here’s how to do it on Windows computers in just a second.
3. Don’t use the screen saver
The screen saver consumes energy unnecessarily. Therefore, you should disable it and better set up an automatic screen lock.
4. Remove auxiliary devices
Additional devices connected to your computer, such as printers, USB sticks, external hard drives, loudspeakers, etc., consume power from their USB ports permanently, even when not in use, and thus increase the energy consumption of your computer. So you should remove them.
5. Avoid standby mode.
The stand-by mode consumes standby power unnecessarily for several hours during the rest period, i.e. the time when you are not using the computer. You should therefore shut it down completely.
The best way to save energy is to connect your computer and other devices, such as your printer, to a switchable power strip so that you can completely unplug them. Because even when switched off, plugged-in devices consume standby power.