A method of reducing power consumption by components of an automated plant during a production stoppage. Control apparatus transmits stoppage time data to the plant components via a data network to initiate the stoppage. Each automated plant component automatically changes to a respective given target state at a respective given stoppage time if the stoppage time data received by that plant component includes that stoppage time for that target state and if at least one other plant component is in a respective operating state expected for this target state. The invention sets a coordinated combination of consumption-minimized plant-component states. The control apparatus transmits respective component-specific stoppage times to the plant components in the stoppage time data, said stoppage time being different from at least one stoppage time transmitted to another plant component. As a result, the component states can be matched to one another.
