During the winter break, our energy elves were busy applying stickers to your light switches and hanging door hangers around your offices. These should serve as friendly reminders to DO THE RIGHT THINGS whenever you leave your work area or living space. There are also helpful hints on how to save energy when you're at your desk or in your dorm room.

Shut down your computer or use the sleep or stand-by settings when you're away from your office for more than 10 minutes.

Power-saving features, which also include the hibernate mode, can save significant power. And you don't have to worry about missing important information while your unit naps. Most operating systems allow incoming Instant Messages or other external events like the touch of the mouse to awaken the computer. Check your computer's control panel or review industry standards at www.acpi.info to see which power-management tool is right for you.

Turn off all the lights whenever you leave a room. Open your blinds on warm, sunny days instead of turning on extra lights.

Wear a sweater or other clothing appropriate for reduced temperatures in cold weather and higher temperatures in warm weather.

Close windows and exterior doors when the heat or air conditioning is on. Close blinds after sunset on cold days to keep the heat in..

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