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Lower Your Energy Costs with Tech

In these trying economic times, why not save some green by going green? We've found the right tech to help you lower your energy costs.

By Iyaz Akhtar
March 8, 2011
Lower Your Energy Costs with Tech
Lower Your Energy Costs with Tech

Times are tough, we've all got to save money where we can. But saving green doesn't have to mean abwandoning your favorite tech. In fact, with the right kind, you'll be able to save money over time. It may cost you more up front, but in the long run, you'll come out on top.

If you're not in the mood to buy anything new, here are a few tips that will save you some money right now. If you've got an HDTV, you might want to modify its settings. Typically, these TVs have their brightness turned way up so you can easily spot it in the show room. You can go online and find calibration settings for your TV that will almost always lower its brightness and give you a better picture overall.

You should also pay a visit to the energy saver settings on your PC, so your computer will go to sleep when you're not using it. A computer still uses more power when it's asleep than when it's off, but this will still help you save you some cash.

To save even more money, you might want to be realistic and pick up some new tech. Find out some handy ways to lower your energy costs using the tech in the slideshow. Then you'll have a new problem: What to do with all that extra cash.

1. Small Form Factor PCs

Small Form Factor PCs
Giant PCs usually come with giant power supplies, which mean serious energy requirements when your machine is powered on. Small form factor PCs usually don't pull as much power as their larger peers. If you can get away with it, go for a smaller PC or a laptop and you'll save some green.

2. Higher Efficiency Displays

Higher Efficiency Displays
Plasma televisions traditionally use much more power than LCD panels. LED-lit LCD panels can save you a couple of bucks compared to the older fluorescent-lit LCD displays over the course of a year. Additionally, computer monitors have also become more efficient over time. What a great reason to pick up a new TV or monitor.

3. Recycle Instead of Reuse

Recycle Instead of Reuse
As geeks, we have a tendency to hang on to old PCs and reuse them for whatever we can. Why not use that old Pentium 4 as a Pandora Radio around the house? Simple—it will cost you more money to run that old PC instead of a dedicated device. Do yourself a favor and take recycle that old PC. It'll save you money in the long run.

4. Innovative Input Devices

Innovative Input Devices
Using wireless gadgets usually means you're running through batteries entirely too quickly. The Logitech Couch Mouse has a unique design that powers down the device unless it is being touched by hand. It claims you get two years of battery life out of two AA batteries. Logitech also has a solar-powered wireless keyboard that won't need power as long as you have light—even indoor light will work.

5. Low Powered Game Consoles

Low Powered Game Consoles
Did you know that some versions of the PS3 and XBox pull nearly 200 watts, while the Nintendo Wii only requires around 17 watts? Considering these machines are highly specialized computers, it is easy to see that the super-powerful game consoles dwarf the power consumption of the relatively simple Nintendo Wii. But if money is tight, I'd stick with the Wii to save some watts and cash.

6. Power Saving Surge Protectors

Power Saving Surge Protectors
A lot of products use power even when they are turned off. To eliminate this wasteful use of energy (and dollars), pick up a new surge protector. Both Monster and Belkin offer smart surge protectors that require a main component to be on before allowing power to the other outlets. Your television would have to be on for your Blu-ray player to get power.

7. Power Consumption Monitors

Power Consumption Monitors
To get a better idea of which of your components use up way too much energy, you can buy a power monitor for your outlet. Belkin sells the Conserve Insight that shows you how much power you're using and displays the data in terms of watts, as well as dollars. P3 International also has an offering with the Kill A Watt, which performs similar functionality.

8. Whole House Monitoring

Whole House Monitoring
If you're willing to put forth a larger investment toward power monitoring, take a look at The Energy Detective (TED). Ranging in price from approximately $100 - $450, TED will monitor the usage of your entire house and display the stats online with real-time monitoring. Beyond displaying your energy usage, TED also shows you projections so you can see what your costs will be long term.

9. Programmable Thermostat

Programmable Thermostat
If you don't have one of these, you're doing your bank account a disservice. Programmable thermostats can save you tons of money since your home won't be heated when your are not there. If you're afraid that you don't have the skill set to install one, think again. Most thermostats are very simple to replace. Just read the instructions and you'll do fine.

10. Smart GPS

Smart GPS
Outside the home, you can save some money by using something like Garmin's ecoRoute system. The Garmin ecoRoute HD navigation device attaches to your car's OBD II sensor, so you can see diagnostic data about your car and check its fuel performance. Garmin also has ecoRoute software in its GPS so you can plan your routes to save fuel.

11. Cheaper Gas

Cheaper Gas
If you have to drive, why not find the cheapest fuel? Gasbuddy.com tells you where to fill up your gas tank without emptying your wallet. The site also has apps for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, and they're absolutely free.

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About Iyaz Akhtar

Mobile Analyst

I’m one of PCMag’s mobile analysts. That means I check out phones, hotspots, and mobile networks. Technology has been my passion and hobby since I was a child. I’ve covered tech professionally for over 15 years at outlets including The Apple Blog, This Week in Tech, and CNET.

Read Iyaz's full bio

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