Putting your desktop computer in standby

[PlainName]

And, a desktop PC that draws 250W

I think you missed the other 11 plugs (or wallwarts). But besides that, the figure is for when the system is idle, not hibernating or sleeping.

But since it requires entering your password when it resumes

Jesus! No! One of the things that put me off Linux-on-the-desktop was having to enter the bloody password all the time. (It's since been changed, but the attitude of the devs was that they knew better than me how I should use my system).

[PlainName]

I have an UPS, so powercuts are no problem.

Sometimes a UPS will cause a problem where there wouldn't've been one without it. I have a client's UPS which he returned because it was causing his PC to reset periodically. A server here suffers a similar issue (different UPS make). My normally reliable (for APC) APC UPS doesn't remember when a previous battery runtime test lasted all of 5 seconds and tries it again the next month.