When you buy a new electronic device, your payments do not stop at the register. Each month, the average American household spends one fifth of their electricity costs to power their electronic devices. In order to decrease the energy wasted by your electronic devices, consider purchasing a device with a sustainable IT certification. There are many green consumer certifications that each consider their own variables into their rating systems, but the two major certifications in the US are ENERGY STAR and EPEAT.
ENERGY STAR is run by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It certifies a number of different products, ranging from laptops to entire homes, based only on their energy efficiency. The site has an easy to navigate search feature that allows consumers to find the cheapest certified products. Although some people might think that green certified products are too expensive for the average consumer, if an ENERGY STAR certified product costs more than a non-certified equivalent, ENERGY STAR requires that the producer prove that the consumer will make up the cost difference in energy savings within a reasonable amount of time.
EPEAT was created by an EPA grant, but is run by the Green Electronics Council, an international non-profit, and exclusively rates IT equipment. Unlike ENERGY STAR, EPEAT considers the environmental impact of a device throughout its lifespan, from production to disposal. EPEAT breaks down its ratings into Gold, Silver, and Bronze. They also have an easy to use search feature on their main page that allows a consumer to search through different EPEAT certified products. Although this might seem limiting, many major products are already certified, including all iPhones that are 6s or above. In fact, it is likely that you already own EPEAT certified products. To estimate how much you are saving, use the EPEAT Benefits Calculator.
Before you purchase a new product, check to see if it, or a comparable equivalent are certified by a reputable sustainable IT certification, such as EPEAT or ENERGY STAR. It could improve your environmental impact and decrease your electricity bill!