Home Office

Courtesy of energystar.gov

Many people now work from home. While this saves time and money on commuting, it can increase home energy bills.

Desk Lamp
Use ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures and light bulbs. Remember to always turn off your lights when leaving a room.

Home office lights are often used for many hours a day. ENERGY STAR qualified desk lamps or compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) provide high-quality light output, use 75% less energy, and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs, saving money on energy bills and replacement costs.

Ducts
Keep air registers and vents clear to allow air to flow freely throughout the room.

Electrical Outlets
Seal holes around outlets with an inexpensive outlet gasket.

Power Strip
Use a power strip as a central 'turn off' point when you are finished using equipment.

Even when turned off, electronic and IT equipment often use a small amount of electricity. For home office equipment, this stand-by or 'phantom' power load can range from a few watts to as much as 20 or even 40 watts for each piece of equipment. Using a power strip for your computer and all peripheral equipment allows you to completely disconnect the power supply from the power source, eliminating standby power consumption.

Power Adapter
Unplug battery chargers or power adapters when equipment is fully charged or disconnected from the charger.

Multi-Function Device
Save energy and space with an ENERGY STAR qualified multi-function device that combines several capabilities (print, fax, copy, scan). Make sure power management features are enabled for additional savings.

Computer/Montior
Enable power management features on your home computer and monitor. And look for the ENERGY STAR when purchasing products for your home office. They use less energy without sacrificing quality or performance.

Most home office equipment is left on 24 hours a day. Remember: Office equipment that is set automatically to switch to sleep mode not only uses less energy, it runs cooler and helps the equipment last longer, allowing for savings on air conditioning, as well. In addition to power management, you can save more energy with your office equipment by doing the following:

• Avoid using a screensaver when your computer monitor is not active - let it switch to sleep mode or turn the monitor off instead.
• Turn off machines when not in use (fax machines, printers, scanners, copiers).
• Learn about the environmental impact of consumer electronics and what you can do to help.