Turn On Power-Saving Modes

The first (and simplest) thing you can do is enable power-saving modes on power-hungry devices that feature them.

• If you’ve never delved deep into your television’s settings before, now’s a great time to go spelunking. Almost all modern TVs include a variety of power-saving options, like Energy Saving modes on Samsung and LG TVs. If yours lacks one, you can achieve similar effects by pulling the curtains and lowering the brightness levels. Handy “sleep timer” settings will ensure that if you doze off, the TV does too.

• Game consoles are constantly sucking down watts — especially the latest Xbox and PlayStation consoles that feature convenient always-on functionality. But the energy-saving mode on the Xbox, for instance, can reduce power consumption by up to 98 percent, according to EnergyStar. Gaming PCs and other desktop computers can be similarly persistent power hogs, unless you set their sleep settings aggressively.