Screen Savers Waste Power

The article "Static Screens" (Popular Mechanics, January 2009) covers the issue of Phosphor burn-in well, but fails to suggest computer users set their screen saver to switch off the screen and save power. Old CT computer monitors suffer from burn-in when an image is left on the screen too long. Screen savers counter this by replacing the static image. However, a better option is to set the system to switch the monitor into low power mode, rather than having a moving pattern on the screen. This saves power and also further reduces wear on the screen's components. The US EPA Energy Star specification requires monitors to use no more than 2 watts in Sleep Mode.