Ever-ready PCs drain lifeblood of the planet

RESEARCH from 1E, provider of waste management software, revealed that up to two million PCs were left on between the Crimbo and New Year break amounting to an estimated energy cost of three million quid.

The research says that employees who leave their computers on habitually contribute to 700,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions each year, which is about the same as 120,000 Soccer Mom's Favourite, the 4x4 car - or the equivalent of the exhaust emissions from a city about the size of Liverpool.

Apparently, over one in five workers (two in five or one-and-a-half in five?) workers leave their computers switched on at least three times a week which wastes about 1.5 billion kWh of electricity. Which, of course, is pricy: with at least 1.7 million computers left on overnight, UK businesses are incurring a yearly electricity bill of £115 million. So, a fair bit then.

Surprisingly, the research found that a staggering nine out of ten employees have never been asked to shut their computers down in the evening. Sumir Karayi, CEO of 1E commented, saying that "companies adopting environmental stewardship programmes or aiming to reduce emissions will only achieve this by taking control and centralising power management."

Karayi went on to say that the nefarious IT departments of companies often tell staff that they'd be better leaving their PCs turned on so the IT squads can perform maintenance after working hours, though of course this is not always the case. The solution to all of this dastardly power consumption? To buy 1E's power management software, of course - how enlightening of you, Sumir. µ