Did you know that
laser printers and other home appliances make up about 20 percent of an average home's electricity bills? Leaving your printer on after it's done churning out your TPS report wastes energy, especially with laser printers (which are
less energy efficient than inkjet printers). But it's not always practical to turn printers off when not in use. Configuring power management features—a low-power or sleep mode that begins after a specified period of inactivity—can save energy automatically.
Energy Star printers use less electricity than standard equipment, even without the use of power management. In fact,
Energy Star printers can cut energy use by up to 60 percent! Using power management with Energy Star office equipment ensures that you save the full amount of energy that the machines were designed to save. These features don't affect performance or connectivity and are often set by default, but you can benefit even more by
lowering the inactivity time on your printer from 60 minutes to 15, for example.
Even if your printer isn't Energy Star-qualified (Gutenberg, I'm looking at you), you can still save money by using power management, and it can help your printer last longer. This, combined with lower electricity consumption, reduces environmental impact.
1. Consult the manual for your printer to learn about available power management features and considerations for using them.
2. Configure the inactivity settings, lowering the standby time to 15 minutes or less.
3. Use the printer normally and adjust the settings as needed.
Double up. Make sure duplex (double-sided) printing is the default setting in your word processing software. You'll save energy on printing as well as save paper.
Consider using a power strip to completely cut power to your laser printer and other home office equipment when not in use. It's easier than unplugging it, and you can save even more energy.
Choose Energy Star electronics. They must meet EPA requirements for energy efficiency, including wattage consumed while asleep.