COMPUTERS with the Energy Star label use up to 75per cent less electricity than PCs without power-saving features turned on.

Energy Star is the international standard for power efficient products, including PCs, monitors and lighting.

Using LCD monitors instead of conventional CRTs can save up to 70 per cent in power. Also, an LCD monitor lasts twice as long as a CRT one.

Some PC vendors ship all their machines with energy savings settings enabled.

For every 12 consumers who keep the energy saving settings enabled on their monitors and PCs, the carbon dioxide emission reduced is equivalent to having one less automobile on the road.

To find out if your computer qualifies for the Energy Star rating, visit www.energystar.gov. HP also has a cool site that lets you compare the carbon footprint of various HP printers, computers and monitors at hp.com/go/carbonfootprint.

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life.

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.