JohnTyra.com

I freely admit, I’m a hardware enthusiast;aka, I have more computer hardware than I know what to do with. For some, it’s a rite of passage into nerd-hood to own so many computers and/or gadgets to really be taken seriously by fellow nerds. As with any electronic device, there is a power requirement for it to function which can range from a few watts to a few thousand watts. Even the small devices can add up to a noticeable amount of energy being consumed, if you know to measure them and have the tools to do so. So, how would a power conscious nerd save money by saving watts?

One of the easiest ways is to use a Kill-a-Watt (or similar device) to measure the energy usage of your devices. For some, this may be old news as these devices have been out for awhile, but there may be some who have never heard of such a device. Our thanks to Liz Brookhart for sending in this link to a PC World magazine article, where they reviewed this device in December of 07′ and offer some nice energy saving tips. Their article is worth a read. First, where can you get one? Almost any online or traditional electronics retailer can have them in stock, although Newegg happens to have them on back-order as of this writing, listed for $25:

Link to Newegg’s site for the Kill-a-Watt

As of this article, I’ve owned one of these for about half a year, and it was worth every penny. Here’s a quick list of things you’d want to measure once you obtain one of these puppies:

• First and foremost, your coffee maker. Caffeine and computing go together like politicians and lying; they’re almost inseparable! =)  Little did I know, but my coffee maker was costing me the most money of all: 1,400 watts!!! Even those small 4-cup makers still pull 800 to 1,000 watts. Granted, this is while brewing and when the hot plate is on, which the hot plate only comes on often enough to keep the coffee hot after brewing. But still, you may think twice before leaving that brewed pot of coffee on for 4 to 6 hours on Saturday morning while milling around the house.
  • Alternative: Brew the coffee and then turn it off. It’ll usually stay hot for about 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the hot plate size and type. Afterward, nuke it in the microwave for 20 seconds or so; even with a 1,200 watt microwave, it’s only 20 seconds of high-wattage usage versus every few minutes of a 4 hour window.

• Your collection of hardware, small or large, should set to low power mode when not in use. My main box eats around 300 watts or so when gaming full-screen with another 200 watts or so from my 2nd box running my email, IM, VoIP, web-browser, etc along with a possible 2nd copy of the game in windowed mode during dual-boxing.
  • Alternative: This rough estimate of 500 watts goes down to about 20 watts when both are in standby mode: this uses enough energy to keep the RAM functional, but turns off almost everything else from the hard drive to the CPU and most components. Most modern monitors also support this standby mode, thus consuming very little energy while in this mode.

• While not technically computer centric, your central heat and air is another big one. Depending on the size of the dwelling, your air conditioner can use around 1,200 to 2,000 watts while your heater (if electric) can eat up 1,800 to 4,000 watts. WOW! Now, you can’t exactly hook up your kill-a-watt meter to your central HVAC system, but you can invest in a solution of sorts…
  • Alternative: Replacing your thermostat with one that supports scheduling can be had for as little as $40 to $60 and is easier to replace than the CPU in your computer. Usually you’re only swapping 3 or 4 wires from your old device to your new one, and these wires won’t hurt you if you accidentally touch the bare end of them (they’re only a few volts DC). This replacement allow you to set a wider range of thermal levels while you are at work/away and while you sleep. I’ve saved quite a bundle by doing this, even invensting in a nicer touch-based thermostat, which paid for itself in under 60 days. Not to mention you can save up to $50 or so per month by changing your temp by a degree or two while you are home, depending on the dwelling size and temp range that was changed.

These are just a few of the many different areas that technology enthusiasts can save money on their power bill. The best rule of thumb is this: if you’re not using it, turn it off/to sleep and if it’s on all the time, tune it down if possible. Have fun!