Computers are used in most Australian business on a daily basis and are the main source of power waste. With the constant use and interactivity, it seems almost impossible to save power and energy for the environment. But there are some effective ways to reduce your power use- and save money- in the office.

Switch it off- there have been computer myths over the last few years that say turning a computer on and off uses a huge surge of energy. But this is completely untrue. In reality, starting up your computer uses only as much energy as it does to run- in just a few seconds. If you are going to be away from your desk for more than a few minutes, ensure you turn it off or switch it to hibernation mode.

Enable automatic standby mode- turning your PC on and off may not be practical during the day. Change your control setting so that the computer will turn to standby mode after a few minutes of inactivity. It will still be running but the compute will use less power than normal.

Ditch screensavers- these use up unnecessary power and energy.

Make a commitment- try and make a commitment to using energy efficient models. It could save your company money (and the environment) in the future.

Look out for the Energy Star Logo- The energy star logo symbolizes that the product is a reliable energy source and that it is energy efficient.

Upgrade rather than buy new- most computers can be upgraded with bigger and better hard drives, faster processors and greater memory capacity. When your office is purchasing a new computer, make sure it can be upgraded later on.

Choose flat screen monitors- flat screens use up to two thirds less energy than CRT models and they also save space, less packaging is involved and they are lighter to transport.

Consider a laptop- laptops are as energy efficient as possible. They can do all the same things as a PC and there are docking facilities to stablise them and connect them to monitors.