From making sure your gaming PC’s basic components are modern to having the best headphones, desk lighting, and comfortable chair, gaming can be an expensive hobby. Which is why you can find areas where you can save money, like energy bill not think.
According to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), the average household electricity bill in NSW during the 2019/20 financial year was A$1,292. If you are into PC games, your chances are much higher than average. Not only do gaming PCs consume up to ten times more power than their regular laptop and desktop counterparts, you also have to take into account the additional electrically-powered needs you need while playing games… such as higher refresh rate monitors, extra space The cooling (at least in the summer months) and the RGB lighting are of course great.
The good news is that you don’t have to wait for your high energy bill to sting before you can act! Here are some of the best ways you can control your gaming energy use to reduce your energy bill – all without reducing the time you spend playing.
Adjust your gaming setting for better power saving
Whether you’re gaming on a laptop or a desktop computer, there are little hacks you can implement to reduce your daily power consumption, starting with your choice of device.
Gaming laptops use an average of 200 to 300 watts of electricity per hour to power games, while desktop computers require 450 to 1,000 watts, depending on their exact specifications. So if you’re switching between a laptop and a desktop for your next device, you are truly Seriously saving electricity, you may want to opt for your laptop.
If you’re playing on a desktop, you’ll need to toggle the device’s power settings to go to sleep when you take a break from gaming. Of course, you’ll still use electricity, but much less than if you left it running and idle. Leaving the game paused while running can use a great deal of strength – so if you’re not actively playing, we highly recommend quitting the game completely.
If you really want to make a difference to your desktop consumption, buying a monitor with a high energy efficiency rating can help too – check your monitor settings to see which custom eco mode you can use.
Other energy-saving modifications you can make in your game room include switching to LED light bulbs, these bulbs use about 75 percent less electricity than standard globes, and keep your air conditioning or heating at a comfortable level of about 24 degrees. Each degree colder or warmer can add up to 10 percent to your energy bill. And if you have a gaming desktop, you may not even need a heater in the winter!
Get a better energy deal for yourself
Just as if you were spending time searching for Best gaming chair, the same level of commitment must also be applied to closing a competitive energy deal. last year Mozo Energy Price Report Revealed That, depending on the region of distribution, the average Australian household could save A$200 to A$300 per year, just by switching to the cheapest offer on the market.
If it’s been a while since you’ve shopped for energy plans, it’s essential to look beyond the tempting discounts or sign-up bonuses that many retailers offer new customers. Instead, consider whether you are able to maintain long-term savings, such as a green energy plan.
The Mozo report found that the cheapest green energy plans offer better value than the average energy plan, with households in Sydney saving just A$166 per year. A green energy plan refers to electricity that is either obtained from renewable sources or the retailer offers a carbon offset program. So you’ll be able to do your bit for the planet and save a few bucks along the way.
Another area to save on electricity is that you may also want to consider a plan that doesn’t include exit fees or locked contracts, as you’ll have the freedom to move to a better deal effortlessly. Now that you have a few hundred extra dollars in your pocket, you can put it into your gaming budget!
Standby ditch and other energy lollipops
We all have energy habits we’re not proud of, like taking long showers and forgetting to turn off the lights, but leaving your devices on standby could be the worst thing of all. According to the Australian government Department of Industry, Innovation and ScienceStandby power consumption costs the average household nearly A$100 per year!
While there are things that should always be left “on” like a refrigerator or a Wi-Fi router, if you make an effort to ensure that other devices are turned off at the wall when you’re done using them (and if they’re not in use for long periods, pull the plug too) you’ll save This includes things like your kettle, your toaster and you guessed it, your gaming computer.
Although it can be difficult to do, keep in mind that simple changes like these could mean the difference between a plump or skinny gaming budget.