ANZ Bank kills screensavers to save power

The ANZ Bank last night switched off the screensaver function on 31,000 PCs, saying the simple move could shave some four percent off its annual electricity bill.

The bank's desktops will now operate in sleep mode after 15 minutes of user inactivity rather than displaying their screensavers, according to a statement issued by the bank today. ANZ chief information officer Peter Dalton described the move as a "quick win for the environment" and an easy way to cut costs.

"Globally, most organisations have screensavers operating on average between three and 12 hours a day, with some workers leaving their computers on overnight," Dalton said. "Having a computer in sleep mode rather than screensaver mode can potentially cut energy use in half."

Dalton said the potential benefits of the screensaver massacre included reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 5,000 tonnes per year -- the equivalent of removing more than 1,150 cars from roads or planting some 7,400 trees each year. Around 6,000 megawatts of electricity is expected to be saved.

The screensaver move was managed centrally and is part of a raft of strategies being implemented to reduce the bank's environmental footprint and impact on climate change.

"This includes converting all Australian leased computer screens from cathode ray tube (CRT) to liquid crystal display (LCD) screens, which can save up to 50 percent in energy use. So far, of around 20,000 CRT computer screens, more than 15,000 have been converted to LCD screens," the bank said.

"We're currently identifying other areas where we can make a difference. We estimate that up to half our energy is attributable to technology and are working to reduce our environmental impact in this key area," Dalton said.