Energy-wasting staff cost employers £123m by leaving PCs on overnight

Failing to switch off PCs costs UK employers £123m each year, according to research.

A survey by pollsters TNS of more than 1,000 workers, commissioned by Fujitsu Siemens Computers, reveals that 37% don't turn off their PCs when they leave the office.

This is despite the fact that 78% of UK employees claimed to be more environmentally conscious today than they were five years ago

The research found that more than a quarter of employees (27%) say they have gone as far as actively lobbying their employer to implement more environmentally-friendly policies

Garry Owen, head of product marketing at Fujitsu Siemens, said: "It was surprising to see that so many workers claimed to have 'gone green' in the workplace and yet they still overlook the most basic way to save energy – turning their PC off when it's not in use.

"UK businesses need to consider both the financial and environmental implications of leaving a computer running and make turning off their PCs each night a policy.

"So many employees think it's sufficient to leave their PCs on standby, but this still wastes valuable energy resources," he added.