Busting the ‘leave-it-on’ myth
Some people mistakenly believe that leaving machines on saves more power than switching them off and on again. This is not the case.
Apart from devices that need to be on, like fax machines, photocopiers and computer servers, most other machines that are unlikely to be used within the half hour, can be switched off.
The equipment that needs to be left on, should also have its energy-saving options and settings fully enabled.
‘Only after a display has been used for 20–30 years will switching it on and off five times or more per day increase the frequency of faults in power transistors.’
-Energy Star [1]
Kinky Curly Straight, SA
“All our IT equipment gets turned off at night, including the power points,” said Kinky Curly Straight co-owner Mojca Bizjak-Mikic. “The IT equipment is set on high-energy efficiency settings, so it switches to sleep mode if not in use.”[2]