Want to be a Green Gamer? Turn off your console.

[unwinddesign]

I accidently left my 360 on for two weeks when I went to school last year, but beyond that, I've always turned 'em off when not in use. My roommates don't...a lot of shit gets left on over night when I'm not playing, but that's because they don't give a fuck about my shit. Nice, right? Still, worst case scenario the PS3 or 360 is on like a combined 8 hours a day.

This article = teh dumb.

[j_factor]

I remember leaving certain games on overnight because they didn't have a save option. Other than that, I've always turned my systems off, and I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't.

[jahvybe]

I remember leaving certain games on overnight because they didn't have a save option.

I did the same thing sometimes when I was a kid. I especially remember doing playing smb3 before I was trying to play through without warping. But half the time it would be frozen in the morning.

These days I have everything in my entertainment center on a surge protector that I can get to easily. And it gets turned off when not in use. I have to have a separate surge protector for my tivo, so it doesn't get turned off to record stuff.

[boatofcar]

I did the same thing sometimes when I was a kid. I especially remember doing playing smb3 before I was trying to play through without warping. But half the time it would be frozen in the morning.

AFAIK, old systems with no moving parts use a much smaller amount of electricity, more akin to a light bulb, when left on. Of course, maybe I just say this to make myself feel better about doing the same thing with countless NES games

[Rob2600]

I have a ton of consoles (probably about 20-25 or so) hooked up to a UPS. Leaving them all (with all those power bricks) would kill my electric bill so the systems get unplugged when not in use.

This is true. All those ac adapters pull juice whether the console is on or not. I've got most of my older systems hooked into an accessible power strip that I flip off

These days I have everything in my entertainment center on a surge protector that I can get to easily. And it gets turned off when not in use. I have to have a separate surge protector for my tivo, so it doesn't get turned off to record stuff.

Excellent!

Jahvybe, I have the exact same setup. When I'm not watching TV, using the DVD player, or playing video games, the power strip is turned off. My cable box/DVR is plugged into a separate power strip, which I leave on most of the time so it can record shows. That's the only device I have that stays plugged in.

I do the same thing with my computer, mobile phone chargers, etc. When I'm not using them, the power strips are off.

I don't want my electronics using up "vampire power," which wastes energy and raises my monthly bill. "Around 10 percent of total residential consumption" is vampire power. Turning off your power strips could reduce your electric bill by 10 percent and, of course, would conserve energy.

It's so easy, I feel stupid not doing it.