Do you switch off your computer at night?

Question

Did you know that if you don't switch it off at the wall it's still drawing power from the mains? Putting it on standby still consumes electricity!

http://vnuuk.typepad.com/itweek_letters/2008/02/pc-firms-are-po.html

Answer 1

Um, yes, computer power supplies have what's called "standby power" which is a handful of watts that it draws basically to power the "on" button and the optional wake-on-lan feature.

I have a laptop that peaks at 30 watts, but I have it hibernating at night, so the power brick is only keeping the battery topped off.

Answer 2

Off every night.

Answer 3

Yes, I know. But it's too much of a pain to plug and unplug it. Every appliance that you leave plugged in whether it be an electric range, microwave, lamp, etc. draws power constantly.

I don't have time to run around the whole house unplugging and replugging in everyday, just to save a few dollars.

Answer 4

u shoud always leave ur computer on becuase its will stay normal but if u turn it off and back on it will take a while to go back to normal.

Answer 5

I would worry if Global Warming is Real!!

Answer 6

I don't know about your computer, but the people who unplug their lamps at night do it for no reason. A lamp does not consume power when the switch is off.

Answer 7

Mine goes into sleep mode no matter if I turn it off or not. The only way I can turn mine off completely is to unplug it.

Answer 8

Yea i allways turn my computer off

Answer 9

My comptuer and peripherals are connected to a surge protector (which isn't good for anything except to actually be able to remove power, to stop trickle voltage).  Turning off the protector does remove all power from the devices. No trickle voltage/current is present then.

Answer 10

Yes, Skids - but I'm usually awake all night -

and about 20 hours of the day - so my carbon foot-print isn't really affected much.  But I do close down every now and again - if only to give my computer a chance to recover (it often shows signs of having a nervous break-down).

Answer 11

yeah I know

I leave it ON every night because I'm afraid of the dark

Answer 12

yes , i do and hope many do it tooo

Answer 13

Yes I did but I really don't care because me shutting off my computer will not save the planet. How arrogant to think that by what we do we could save or destroy this amazing planet.

Answer 14

off after every use (even though I live off the grid, and don't really have to turn things off, because I'm only wasting energy by NOT using my solar generated energy ;^)  )

Answer 15

I let it sleep during the day which draws four watts and when I am done at night I turn the main power off.

Answer 16

We sometimes do but not all the time.

Answer 17

Yes I know. And that's why I turn it off. I mean yes, i've heard that if you switch and off your computer too much it's bad cause every time you switch on your computer its like jumping in an ice-cold lake just after getting up for the computer, but hey, is a computer more inmportant or the environment? Like Al Gore said, 'if we don't have an Earth....!"

Answer 18

I switch off my computer whenever I am not using it, I also switch off lights the same way. Any wasted energy is lost and not to be regained. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Answer 19

I never turn off hard drive. I've sorted out options within  operating system for computers to go into a hibernate/sleep. I am scupulous about leaving  room and turning off the lights, recycling properly, but my chickens and 'puter get the juice. Why not?  I work hard, pay bills on time, and there's no law against power usage yet, is there? What's my carbon foot-print print-out? CIA? Whomever? When the USA goes into rolling power outages for sustainability--hey California wassup?  We all have a long memory of the failure of your legislature to contain a very near bankruptsy --  we're all in serious s*** and need to "act up".Check out the situation in Iraq under our benevolent military's eye. Why can't our troops support the innocent  in "joe doe" communities and  Bagdhad hospitals or other public institutions?  When the USA goes into rolling power outages targeting those who haven't paid for protection, and those in VA hospitals, you've voted for a Republican.

Answer 20

I didn't now that I had to switch it off at the socket in order for it not to drain electricity, oops! I thought I was switching it off. Will change from today.