By Tim Ferguson, 22 May 2008 15:44
NEWS
The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is urging public sector workers to turn off their PCs overnight to slash carbon emissions and cost.
The OGC is the Treasury office responsible for driving efficiency in public sector spending and says switching PCs off during non-work hours could cut carbon emissions by 55,723 tonnes per year across the public sector.
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In addition, the practice could save up to £10.2m annually in power costs if all government departments took it up.
The campaign is being led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and includes a cross government deal to use a tech tool called NightWatchman from a company called 1E.
NightWatchman automatically shuts PCs down during non-working hours and can monitor daily PC power consumption and carbon emissions.
OGC CEO, Nigel Smith, said the campaign will play a "small but important part in meeting the government's sustainability targets".
Separately, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has opted to upgrade its 10,000 PCs to Windows Vista, which includes a PC hibernating feature.
Comments
There are 4 comments. Join the discussion
1. Roger Huffadine
The usual hot air about turning off PCs to save energy. If there is an energy crisis then to save a million times more energy the government can introduce, and police, a 50 mph speed limit.
Until the government introduces a 50 mph speed limit and enforces it I shall continue to leave everything on all the time without feeling that I am doing anything to pollute the environment.
2. anonymous
Sutting a PC down is not sufficient, it needs to be switched off at the power socket on the wall.
3. anonymous
Reducing the number of Civil Servants would save even more power......... not to mention reduce hot air.
4. Peter Dunkley
If workers aren't switching off their PCs it should be a disciplinary offence. They're wasting public money and damaging the environment
It seems to be that these folks are looking to tech solutions to basic problems arising from inadequate management.