How to make Windows 11 more energy efficient

In today’s cost of living crisis, many of us are trying to save money wherever we can.

Energy bills get a lot of attention, with advice like avoiding the dryer, turning down the heat and reducing shower time among the most popular.

But what about your computer? In the UK, Heatable estimates that it costs an average of 56p per eight hours on a desktop or 24p on a laptop, meaning significant savings could be available.

Improving your device’s energy efficiency is also good news for battery life and the environment. Here are nine ways to do that in Windows 11.

Reduce screen brightness

You probably already knew this one, but the brightness of your screen can have a big effect on power consumption. Try to keep it as low as you can comfortably use it.

On most devices, a few F-keys should also act as brightness controls. But if you prefer, go to Settings > System > Display and adjust the “Brightness” slider.

Some monitors and laptops can also be set to automatically adjust brightness based on outside lighting. This is a good energy-efficient option for most people, but you might be able to get by with lower brightness than set.

To control it manually, click the little down arrow next to the brightness slider (if you see one) and uncheck the box for “Helps improve battery life by optimizing displayed content and brightness.”

Reduce screen refresh rate (if possible)

In Windows 11, the default screen refresh rate is 60Hz. But some screens can go up to 360Hz, with plenty of options in between.

Refreshing up to 360 times per second has an obvious impact on power consumption, so it’s worth reducing it if you can live without the extra smoothness.

Head to Settings > System > Display > Advanced Display and click on the drop-down list next to “Choose a refresh rate”.

Use a dark background and theme

Darker colors don’t need as much power as lighter colors to light up, so this is a good opportunity to reduce power consumption. There are two options in Settings > Personalization that are worth adjusting.

First, head to Background and select “Image” or “Solid Color,” then choose something with darker hues. In themes, this can be combined with specific accent colors, slider design, and system sounds.

Then go to Colors and select “Dark” from the “Choose your mode” drop-down menu.

Change your power and battery settings

Windows 11 has a dedicated section in settings for power and battery, and it’s probably the most effective way to improve power efficiency.

Head to Settings > System > Power & Battery, then click and apply any “energy recommendations” you like the look of.

Click the “Power mode” drop-down menu and choose “Best power efficiency”. Monitor this to ensure that performance is not noticeably affected.

Next, click on “Screen and sleep” and choose the shortest idle time that suits you before the screen turns off or the device goes to sleep. The defaults below are generally acceptable for most people.

You can also customize the “Battery saver” mode, which lets you decide when to activate it (the default is 20%) and reduce screen brightness at the same time.

Disable animation effects

Every time you open, close, or minimize an app in Windows 11, a short animation plays. It looks good, but uses extra power that just isn’t needed. In addition to reducing the resources consumed, turning them off will also make your device a bit faster.

To do this, simply head to Settings > Accessibility > Visual Effects and turn off the toggle next to “Animation Effects”.

Stop apps running unnecessarily in the background

Many apps run in the background by default, but only a few are necessary. Others will consume energy without bringing you any benefit.

Remember: if you’re unsure about an app, just leave it or do some research first. Apps that seem insignificant can be important for the proper functioning of your device.

To see if you can disable any, go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps and click on the three dots next to the app’s name. Click “Advanced Options” if you see it – the feature will not be available otherwise.

Under “Let this app run in the background”, choose “Never”.

It is also worth opening Task Manager and checking for unnecessary “background processes” that consume a lot of energy. Right-click on anything you’re sure of and click “End Task”.

Stop charging when the battery is full

If you’re using a laptop or tablet as your primary computer, you risk having it plugged in all the time. Some modern devices cut power once it reaches 100% (sometimes even before), but others will keep trying to recharge.

Going down to 99% and immediately charging back to 100% is bad for your battery, reducing its lifespan. Try to only plug in your device when it really runs out of battery – less than 50% at least.

Enable Airplane Mode Whenever Possible

Most tasks on Windows 11 rely on an internet or Bluetooth connection. But if you don’t need it for a particular reason, turning on Airplane mode is an easy way to save power.

Simply click the Wi-Fi, sound, or battery icons in the taskbar to open the Action Center, then click the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth icons to make sure they are not on, followed by the plane icon to turn on airplane mode. To turn everything back on, simply reverse these steps.

Use Microsoft Edge Efficiency Mode

There’s no consensus on which web browser is the most energy efficient, but that changes if you’re using Microsoft Edge’s built-in efficiency mode. It reduces CPU usage by reducing activity on inactive tabs and putting those in the background to sleep after a few minutes.

By default, Efficiency Mode is enabled whenever you use Edge with Battery Saver Mode enabled. But this can be customized by clicking on the three dots and choosing “Performance”. From there you can decide when it is activated.

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