For the past several years, Miller has been using software from Seattle-based Verdiem Corp. to manage the school district's PC power consumption. The tool is set to put PCs into sleep mode after 20 minutes of inactivity, said Miller, whose IT department administers the software for him.

The Verdiem software costs Lake Washington US$25,000 annually under a three-year agreement. Miller said that the application has helped the district reduce power consumption by about 3.66 million kilowatt hours per year, for an annual savings of about $256,000, based on current electricity rates.

Miller said he views power management as an easy way for users to have a major impact on energy costs with minimal or no impact on work processes. He added that he has yet to hear any complaints from employees about the program. "It would be interesting to me to know why people wouldn't do this," he said of PC power management in general.

The dollars savings may vary significantly by region, though. For instance, Washington state has relatively low power costs, in the range of 5 to 7 cents per kWh. Contrast that with Northeast states such as Connecticut, where rates range from 14.25 cents to nearly 20 cents per kWh, according to .

The EPA estimates annually if system standby or hibernation features are activated on machines.