When it comes to electronics, I am the extreme frugalista. My television set will be celebrating its silver anniversary this fall, my printer is thirteen years old, and my computer system is five years old. I do own a state-of-the-art cell phone and a GPS system, only because I received them as retirement gifts.I make a point of buying the most energy-efficient electronics, and I am never the first one on my block to own a new gadget or toy.
The following guidelines come in very handy when purchasing electronics:
- Buy a laptop rather than a PC, which consumes five times as much energy.
- Switch to an LCD monitor. The old-style 20-inch CRT monitor consumes about 150 watts of power, while a new 20-inch flat-panel LCD uses about 30 watts.
- Repair computers as long as you can. Regular maintenance will extend their life. Adding memory and other upgrades will keep your computer current as technology advances.
- Think twice before buying a plasma-screen high definition TV. They can use nearly twice as much energy as their LCD-screen counterparts, and more than three times as much as the standard models.
- Turn off the monitor if you are taking a break of twenty minutes or more.
- Skip the screen saver. Using a screen saver may consume more kilowatts than not.
- Turn off the computer and all peripherals at the power strip so that transformers do not continue drawing power when off.
- As soon as your cell phone, iPod, laptop, or digital camera is charged, unplug the charger. When plugged in, a charger draws energy even if it is not attached to the item it is meant to charge.
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