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You’ve got the Prius and the reusable shopping bags, but did you know a PC and monitor perpetually left on use more than twice the kilowatt-hours per year consumed by a fridge? The New York Times reports what you can do to slow your computer’s energy drain:

• Turn it off after your workday. Have it set to sleep when unused, and dump the screensaver.

• Even a shut-down appliance can use energy, so try a power strip that automatically cuts power when your equipment is off.
• Download a power-management program that shows the energy you’re using.
• Any new PC purchase should be Energy-Star compliant; Nokia leads the pack when it comes to green brands, Greenpeace says.
• Recycle your old computer, but keep a company’s safe recycling credentials in mind. A list of recyclers is available at tinyurl.com/5yrb9k.

(Read more environment stories.)