1. Customize Your Computer's Power Options

Every computer has a built in energy management system and by adjusting your computer’s settings you can decrease the amount of energy your computer uses and lower your electric bill. If you have a Windows operating systems you can adjust your computers power settings to a more sustainable level by clicking on the Start Menu, selecting the Control Panel and then opening Power Options. Once on this screen you can select one of the preset power schemes or you can customize your own. Depending on your computer and operating system, the steps may be slightly different.

2. Ditch The Screen Saver

Screensavers were originally designed to prevent images from being burned into computer monitors but advances in screen and display technology have eliminated this problem and made screensavers obsolete. Instead of setting a screensaver up on your computer, follow the same steps in tip #1 and set your computer to slip into sleep or hibernation mode after 20minutes (or less if you really want to be green) of inactivity.

 3. Decrease Monitor Brightness

The brighter your monitor or screen, the more energy it consumes. On a desktop monitor, the you should be able to control the brightness directly, or via a menu option, with external buttons. THe brightness on a laptop is easily adjusted using the keyboard and it typically done by holding down the FN key and one otherkey usually designated by a sun or halfmoon image. These are general directions and if you are unable to locate the button or key combination, please refer to your owner's manual for more specific assistance.

4. Set Your Computer Background To a Dark Color Scheme

The brightness of your monitor is not the only factor in computer energy consumption. The actual color displayed can have an impact as well. Lighter colors require larger amounts of electricity so setting your desktop background to a dark color or image can reduce the amount of energy used. There is even a search engine dedicated to saving energy by using a dark background!

5. Purchase Multi-Functional Computer Peripherals

Printers that combine functions such as faxing, scanning and copying not only save you space, but also mean you will have fewer devices consuming electricity and driving your monthly bill sky high! As a plus, multi-functional devices reduce the amount of waste we have to dispose of when they reach the end of their lifecycle.

6. Unplug Electronics

Turning electronics off is a great way to save energy but, going a step further and physically unplugging your devices will boost your "green-meter" sky high! This is because, even when electronics are turned off, if they are plugged into an outlet, they pull electricity from the grid. In the power industry this is known as “vampire energy loss” or “phantom power” and is responsible for up to 20% of the energy consumption in homes across America. So, when you are done charging your phone or printing that report, unplug. Another option is to use a "smart powerstrip" which is able to detect if a device is being used and if it's not,  automatically shut off the supply of power.

7. Choose Energy Efficient Electronics

When purchasing a new computer or accessory,  examine the amount of power needed to run the device and choose one with a lower requirement or one with a good ENERGY STAR rating. ENERGY STAR ratings are not just for appliances anymore. More and more electronics, including TVs and computers, are participating in the ENERGY STAR program.

8. Get Your Electronics Repaired

When your computer is experiencing trouble or stops working, you might be tempted to toss it aside, but the trash bin is not your only option. Instead, have it repaired. Many computers come with a manufacturer warranty and often retailers will offer a warranty of their own but, this can mean you have to ship your computer back to the company and you can end up without your computer for weeks. If your computer is not covered by a warranty or you need service fast, a certified technician from Geeks On Call can be there quickly and without any emergency fees for same day appointments. Having your computer repaired will extend its lifecycle and keep one more computer out of our landfills.

9. Donate Old Electronics

As the saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!” Even an old and outdated computer can continue to be a beneficial resource and provide opportunities to less fortunate people around the world. You can help keep our earth green while also being a humanitarian! Visit the EPA's e-cycling page for more information on programs.

10. Recycle Unwanted & Broken Electronics

If your computer and accessories have finally reached the end of their usefulness or are beyond repair, resist the urge to send them out with the garbage. Instead, take advantage of the many recycling, trade-in and electronic swapping programs provided by manufacturers and retailers. Many of the programs are free and some will even pay you! The EPA's e-cycling page has more information or visit Earth911.com to find a recycling center near you.

Never Forget to Protect Your Identity

We focus on protecting our computers and our identity while our computers are up and running but discarded computers can be a goldmine of personal information for cyber-thieves. Even if you delete your files and information, you might be surprised to find out, that is not enough. Thieves can still access all your personal information because it is imprinted on your hard drive. The only way to remove your files is to run a program that will overwrite the files, making them unreadable. Several companies offer software, including free versions, specifically for this purpose. Microsoft recommends using Active @ Kill Disk and Softpeadia's DP Wiper 1.1.