Video games and energy: tips for gamers

Video game consoles consume an estimated 16 billion kilowatt-hours per year, according to a study released in November by the Natural Resources Defense Council. That’s about equal to the annual electricity use of the city of San Diego.

What does this mean for customers? Among the study’s findings:

Sony’s PlayStation 3 consumes the most energy. For the latest model, consumers will pay about $12 a year if they turn the console off when not in use, compared to about $134 if they leave it on continuously. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 costs about $11 to operate annually, but leaving it on all the time will cost about $103. Nintendo’s Wii uses significantly less power than the others. It costs about $3 a year if turned off after use, compared to about $10 if left on.

Here’s what customers can do to save energy and money:

• Turn consoles off when not in use. Leaving consoles on consumes nearly 10 times more annual energy than if they’re turned off.



• Enable automatic power-saving features, which shut consoles down if left idle for a certain length of time.



• Limit movie watching on game consoles, as these devices consume more energy than stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray players.


Source: Focus on Energy’s ENERGY STAR Extra


Stay cool this summer Summer’s coming! Stay cool and comfortable without burning up your pocketbook with these energy and money saving ideas:

• Open the windows. On mild days and cool, dry nights, open your windows and let the outdoors do the air conditioning for you.



• Shut out the heat. Close shades, blinds and draperies on south- and west-facing windows to reduce solar heat gain during the day.



• Use a ceiling fan. Set fans to rotate counter-clockwise to push air downward and create a cooling breeze. Remember that fans cool people, not rooms – so you’ll save money by turning fans off when rooms are unoccupied.



• Limit indoor cooking on warm days, or just fire up the grill. Use smaller appliances for smaller meals, such as a toaster oven or microwave.



• Reduce appliance waste heat. Run heat-producing appliances such as dishwashers and clothes washers at night or early in the morning to avoid adding heat and moisture to your home.



• Look for the STAR. ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, electronics and lighting save energy and money compared to standard models.


Source: Focus on Energy’s ENERGY STAR Extra