Are computers heavy on watts?

Lendusapund

Hi

Our last leccy bill from around Oct 05 to Jan 06 was very much higher than normal for similar months, mainly due to increase in use.

We checked with the company who said that if its estimated one month, the following will be actual so the figures would be pretty close to the mark and correct.

Other than getting a few re-chargable batteries over Christmas, the only other new comer was my computer which I got in Nov. Is my computer likely to have made a big variation in usage? Its not bashed 24/7 - maybe 3 hours a day at most. Or anything else which may have swelled the bill? (we've got oil which is ran by electric etc).

Thanks

Nicholas

Lendusapund wrote:

Is my computer likely to have made a big variation in usage? Its not bashed 24/7 - maybe 3 hours a day at most. Or anything else which may have swelled the bill? (we've got oil which is ran by electric etc).

Thanks

When you say used 3 hours a day, do you mean that it is completely powered down the rest of the time, or is it left running 24/7? If so, that may account for some of the extra rise.

saving-mad

we have recently bought a watt meter and i have been shocked to discover that for 4 hours on the computer it cost us 20p however a cycle on the dishwasher only cost 25p, we also found that 2 hours after shutting down the computer but not off at the socket it cost us 3p so will be turning it fully off in future!
hope this helps

tigger2

Seems high ? If you make sure that monitor is made to go off fast and the computer going to sleep fast can help.

Does a laptop use less power?

Poppycat

Last time I did a read out with a watt meter my main pc, server on 24/7 rune a little over 200w. I have to try a again sometime as it was about 8 montsh ago and prices have changed.

T.K.Maxx

I have read on other forums, that its cheaper to run your pc 24/7 rather than turn on and off as when you start a pc up thats when it uses the most electric and when your components are most likley to "pop"

JohalaReewi

When we measured this at work, a server PC with CRT monitor took about 400 Watts when switched on and working. A desktop PC would take a little less. You can reduce consumption a bit more by turning on the power saving features. For Windows go to the Control Panel, choose Power Options.

Ken68

When I last checked this set-up here with an energy monitor, it cost £29 a year....on and off during the day..not used in the evening or night.Just a standard PC and monitor, no games. Mostly surfing.

Cardew

Although PC's can be rated at 350 watts, Microsoft some years ago said that a PC's average consumption, when used and not in hibernation, was approx 60 watts and a CRT monitor was the same. A LCD monitor was much less.

So at today's prices it works out at approx 1 pence an hour(for 120 watts).

valmiki

I bought one of those electricity usage monitors from the local Lidl for about £4-ish, specifically to find out how much leccy my pc was using. It's measuring the 6 plug extension, so is measuring the usage of my pc (with 550w supply but pretty sure it doesn't use it all, all the time), 19" lcd panel, wireless router, speakers and the printer (when used). The PC and router are on 24/7; the monitor I'd say about 6 hours a day; the speakers and printer are much less often.

My latest calculations show about 22p per day usage. £80 per year.

I'm pretty sure that if it wasn't for the lcd panel and I had a crt monitor it would be a lot higher in comparison! so if you're thinking of upgrading then go for it. Only prob is with less eye strain, you'll surf more than you did before. :eek:

steve_r123

PC Pro magazine recently started their "Switch IT Off" campaign. It outlined some of the saving households and businesses could make by switching off unnecessary IT equipment.

CLICK HERE FOR NEWS STORY

HTH