I also turn it off when I go to work. Don't see any use in keeping the electricity flowing when I am not using it.

I live rather frugal.

Moni

My desktop is seldom turned off, at the recommendations of our IT people. My laptop is usually turned off overnight, again that is what they tell me to do.

I've worked on computers for nearly 40 years, my first was what we now call a dumb terminal and they were never turned off. Once we moved on to the PC type it was the same because there was a lot of inventory updating done overnight.

The monitors are always turned off at night.

I have a Macpro and the manual says to shut it off at night, I also unplug it from the laptop, not the wall, that also was recommended.
Husband has a desk top unit, he shuts it down but never unplugs.

My husband (repairs computers for a living) swears by turning the computer off every night...he has always had problems when he's left a computer on 24/7...he tells all his customers to turn them off at night. I really cannot see a good reason to leave them on all the time, it's just a waste of money.

Turned off here.

I leave mine on all the time, and schedule maintenance and backup for the middle of the night. It couldn't be too bad for the computer, since my second computer is almost 11 years old and running fine and my laptop is almost 6 years old and never had a problem. My main computer is only 4 years old, so time will tell if I'm doing the right thing with it. The monitors are turned off at night.

Mine is set to go into hibernation every night. Never have had any problems. We also leave the TV turned on 24/7. Electrician husband swears by this. Says it's easier on the TV rather than cooling off then heating up everyday. Same thing for a computer.

I have always turned it off at night and when I go on vacations or when there is a storm I unplug it from the power and from cable .

Mine is off every night... and when not in use during the day.

I turn mine off every night to conserve electricity. When I go on vacation I unplug all electronics.

I turn mine off, because that's what I was told to do at work.

Yep!

turned off when not in use.

I log off, but I suppose I should unplug my laptop's power cord too.

BTW, why would one unplug something like a simple toaster, mixmster or other small appliance that has no clock?

My home PC (desktop) is up 24x7 except when we are gone for a weekend or longer. My work PC (laptop) is up 24x7 except that I shut it down on Friday night and bring it back up again on Monday morning.

Monitor off, hard drive on. Virus scan and backups scheduled at midnight every night.

I turn them off and unplug them.

Even though they're plugged into surge protectors, if the electricity goes off and comes back on, they can still get fried. I had to replace a computer because that happened to it even though it was plugged into a surge protector.

I turn it off every night.

I shut mine down when I go to bed, AFTER I run Crap Cleaner!

BTW, why would one unplug something like a simple toaster, mixmster or other small appliance that has no clock?

I've been asking DH this - he insists the toaster in the kitchen be unplugged when not in use - same with my curling iron, and hair dryer.
Somehow thinks any appliance that has a heating element is capable of spontaneously catching fire.

Mine stay up 24/7 unless I will be going out of town for more than a day then they all simply get turned off. I turn off my monitors at night sometimes if I remember. Mine are all going through a large uninterrupted Power Supply Protector so should there be something that causes a power outage that will take over and shut them down slowly.

I have always done it that way, learned long ago it is easier on electronics to stay on, the on and off is what is hard on them. I have not had any of mine fail.

One of the old world thoughts is no longer applicable and that is that it's better to leave a computer, TV or light bulb running because "it wears it out to turn it on and off". Back in the days when computers were the size of a room, using vacuum tubes and stuff there were certain advantages to leaving them on. However they also consumed a lot of electricity too. And desktop units with CRT monitors were thought of in that respect. Turning on and off repeatedly could cause some issues, however in the last 15 years or more, that worry is basically gone in most circumstances but old practices die hard with some folks.

There's also the issue with (at least) Windows units needing to be rebooted regularly. After 2-3 days of running Vista my system needs to be rebooted or there's lockup issues. Windows hasn't been able to handle memory well since Windows98se.

When something is running 24/7 you need to be extra careful of ventilation. Computers are very effective air cleaners and will gather up a lot of dust and block the airflow. This can cause trouble and with over 25 years of servicing computers under my belt, I've seen a lot of these issues. And if the computer (or tv or any electrical appliance) is around a heavy smoker the problem is compounded. Washing the nicotine buildup off circuit boards is not a job that you want to do right after lunch!

I always shut down my desktop units when I'd intend to not use them for 15 min or more. And if I changed my mind, no big deal, it's not a problem to turn it back on, other than wait for the bootup. Some can't stand to wait so I know people who would leave them on. However it's still a good idea to turn off the monitor even if you leave the computer running. I used to shut down the notebooks religiously but now I don't for several reasons. I use it for a caller ID, monitor email/IM and it automatically runs maintenance programs when I'm away. The cost of operating a notebook or "laptop" (as has become the cliche label), is a fraction of what it costs to run a desktop unit and monitor. However I never leave a printer on, especially the laser although I don't print much so it'd be stupid for me to leave it on anyway.

When it comes down to it, it's just as wrong to turn them off all the time as it is to leave them running. It's whatever works best for you with the caveat that it's hard to justify leaving it run when you're gone for weeks unless you use it for purposes of a security system or some other special need.

One thing that's often overlooked: Like a car, the more you run a computer, the more frequently it should be maintained.

As for unplugging appliances as a whole, some still have a phantom load. You'll know there's always power being consumed if the unit has a pilot light or a remote control, which more and more things have these days. Any electrical appliance can start a fire when not being used. Ask your local fire department or insurance agent about that if you're skeptical. Dryer fires cause a surprising amount of damage every year. Frayed cords, heat and other things contribute to dangers. I'm really annoyed by the proliferation of wall-warts being used these days. If you've felt some of them they get quite warm sometimes. I don't suggest people get paranoid about it, rather be (accurately) informed and decide the risk level with which you're comfortable.

At one time the toaster was the number one cause of home fires. There is a safety switch that goes out and the toaster comes on and gets hotter and hotter until you have a fire. My friends home burned and it was the toaster. I keep mine in the cabinet so of course it is always off.

Old, slow desktop stays on but hibernates at night w/ monitor off. It takes forever to boot up.

Laptop is turned off each night.

Desktop - rarely - my backups and updates run automatically at night. If I'm not going to be using it for a few days (like out of town) then I turn it off. I have a older laptop that I don't use all that often. When I boot it up it takes forever to run all the updates. If I really want to use it timely I have to plan ahead to turn it on an hour before I actually want to use it.

I've been in the software industry since the early 80's - back in the day when the prevailing thought was that you should not turn your PC off and on every day. So I guess I've always been in that habit. In spite of leaving them on all the time I've never had a computer die before I was ready to get a new one.

You mean my computer has an off switch?? What will they think of next????

I shut the computer down every night. I also unplug it during bad storms.

We had a house fire that was caused by the toaster oven. The oven was plugged it, but not turned on. I won't leave any small appliances plugged in now and if I could unplug my microwave oven more easily, I'd keep that unplugged, too. I don't trust things to flip breakers or blow fuses. It took me a long time to get over the intense smell of smoke. We nearly lost a cat in that fire and the only reason we didn't was a fluke in timing. I got home just as the kitchen was going up in flames and I was able to put it out before the fire dept arrived. I had to try to put it out because we didn't have a telephone at the time. (Rental house, for short period, trying to save on expenses, stupid!) After I got it out, I had to run to the high school to get someone to call the FD to double check it was out. Then I had to pack all our smelly belongings so we could move out that day, no way could we stay there. That was a horrible, scary day and all because of a small appliance.

My parents have a nifty system, Pops put an outlet/surge protector strip on the counter, behind the small appliances, and they are all plugged into it and it is plugged in. They turn it on as needed, but it's always off when nothing is being used.

Many toaster fires are caused by frayed cords and/or not cleaning the crumbs out.
Ditto with dryers and lint.

The new dryers are safer, the dryers with the bottom lint filter was really dangerous if you didn't clean them properly. We had a flash fire in ours and didn't know it until a repair man opened it up and told us.

All of my small kitchen appliances are put away. I like the clean look of the counter. I only have decorative things setting there.

Flamey, one of my very good clients lost their home due to one of the rechargeable flashlights that were so popular a few years back. He had one in his den, it caught fire and the home was destroyed. They then began unplugging all their small appliances as well. I unplug my toaster because there is a light on the dials that stays on even when it is not in use.

One of the energy saving tips that I see all the time is to unplug appliances, that many pull power even when not being used. Our power company is the one that gives that tip. They say to turn off everything in the house, (unplug clocks, dvd palyers and that type of digital equipment) and check your electric meter, it will still be moving.

Turn on every day...leave on all day, and turn off at night.

Seems to me unless there is a clock or 'on' light or something actively drawing power to a small appliance, there's no point in unplugging it. All that messing with the electrical cord would seem to me to create a bigger problem.

It might be safer to keep something plugged into all the wall outlets...so the electricity doesn't leak out on the countertop. LOL