Computer Power Usage
 

My roommate and I got our first electric bill and it caused a fight over how much power a PC consumes. My computer is the always on variety, but with power management installed. She's not a computer person, so she doesn't understand the absolute need for that. Does anyone have any official figures? I've found a few references to EPA studies that put the cost of computer ownership at $37 / year, but I can't find the actual document. Also, that's not in highest-energy-rates-in-the-country California. So if anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it.

By always on, you mean on just like your TV is always on? Just like your microwave oven is always on? Just like most every appliance with a touch on-off power button is always on?

The discussion means nothing without numbers. How many kilowatts each month? Electric water? Electric heat? Electric dryer? What kind of refrigerators? Numbers are provided on a plate adjacent to where power goes into each item. Without numbers, nothing responsible can be posted.

Always on as in it fills me with displeasure to shut it off.

My wife and I also used to argue about this. Eventually she gave up and let me leave it on all the time, though i'm not quite sure why.

She's also the type that thinks that leaving a light on for 5 extra minutes while you leave the room is like $10/second. She used to laugh along with me whenever I made fun of my mom for being like that. Now she's doing the same thing!! I was tricked.

Perhaps this document can be of use.

http://www.aps.com/images/pdf/OfficeEquipment.pdf

Thanks....

hehe.. when I was at my last job, a college in the Philadelphia area, my name was first on the computer center listing in the campus directory (alpahbetical... I don't know why they didn't do it by importance!), so I got lots of weird calls. ("Hi I'm a student at Temple and I don't like to go to Temple cause it's a long way from my house and you're right next door, so can I get an email account from you and come use your computer labs?" "Umm.. No.")

My favorite was from a woman who wanted to know how much power a computer used. After some questioning on my part to find out what she was really looking for, I finally found out her agenda. Her landlord wouldn't let her put in a window air conditioning unit, and she wanted to find somebody who would tell her a computer used the same power as an air conditioner so she could tell the landlord, "you let other people have computers, why can't I have an air conditioner?" :3eye:

Take a look at your water heater first. If it's electric, and your rent doesn't cover it, then that's where alot of the power went.

So, you can afford to surf porn continuously, if you're prepared to take cold showers!