Energy Star 

    The Town of Chapel Hill should encourage all residences, as well as offices, to use computers and lighting with the Energy Star™ label.  Energy Star is a well-known labeling program.  Its labels make it easy for consumers to recognize energy efficient products and also encourage and reward the manufacturers who produce these efficient products.  Households can easily reduce their carbon emissions by switching to Energy Star labeled computers, printers, and appliances.

    Computers:  Energy Star computers have the special ability to power down to a "sleep" mode after a period of inactivity.  Such "sleep" modes use 70% less power than computers without this feature. This is much more effective than screen savers that often use more energy than a computer without one.  This is why it is important to educate the residents of Chapel Hill about the benefits of Energy Star and encourage them to use its products.

Source: U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Energy Savers: When to Turn Lights and Computers Off to Save Energy and Money

    LCD Monitors:  Besides using Energy Star computers, Chapel Hill residences could reduce their energy consumption by switching to computers with more efficient LCD monitors.  The thin, chic LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors use significantly less energy than traditional, bulky CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) monitors. A 17-inch CRT monitor uses 135 watts while a LCD monitor with the same viewing area uses only 45 watts. LCD monitors also have longer life spans; however, they are more expensive, which is their main disadvantage in comparison with CRT monitors.

Source: Energy Advisor: Computer Monitors

    Printers:  Printers with Energy Star accreditation, like monitors, enable a "sleep mode" during inactivity, and some include a double-sided printing feature. Over a printer's lifetime, it can save enough electricity to power a home for four years, not to mention cut the amount of paper used in half.

Source: Energy Star
 

    Appliances:  Energy Star qualified appliances use between 10% and 50% less energy than standard models. The money saved on utility bills can more than make up for the added cost of buying a more expensive but more efficient Energy Star model.

Source: Energy Star: Appliances

Another easy way for household to reduce their energy consumption is through efficient lighting.

    Lighting:  There are two ways to reduce carbon emissions through household lighting:

            1. Improve the energy efficiency of the lighting fixtures
            2. Only use lights when needed - turn them off when not in room

    Energy Efficient Residential Lighting:  Residences should use Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) instead of traditional incandescent light bulbs. These lights not only reduce electricity consumption but they also save the resident money in the long run:

"CFLs have the following advantages over incandescent light bulbs when used properly: they last up to 10 times longer, use about 1/4 the energy, and produce 90% less heat, while producing more light per watt. For example, a 27 watt compact fluorescent lamp provides about 1800 lumens, compared to 1750 lumens from a 100 watt incandescent lamp."

Source: Energy Savers: When to Turn Lights and Computers Off...