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Pro Tips for Making Your Office More Energy Efficient
When it comes to running a small or medium business, energy costs can be easily overlooked. Yet your energy bills actually have a substantial effect on your yearly costings.
It doesn’t matter if your business is home-based or in an office, by making just a few small changes to improve energy efficiency for your business it’s possible to save a lot of money over the year, which is vital when every penny counts.
Here are some tips to ensure your office is as energy efficient as it can be:
Turn Everything Off At The End Of The Day
When you’re looking to conserve energy, getting into the habit of shutting down electrical equipment at the end of the working day is one of the simplest changes you can make.
Many of us don’t realise that office equipment, such as our computers, projectors and printers, can still consume additional energy even when they’re in sleep mode. Leaving unnecessary lights or the heating on overnight also wastes energy.
True, this can be a pain, but by asking employees to ensure all the unneeded electrical equipment is switched off at night, you’ll soon see a change in your energy bills.
Switch From Desktop Computers To Laptops
There are multiple benefits to switching your computers from desktop to laptop. For one, a laptop is a far more convenient way to work. Its portability allows you to take your computer with you to meetings, client visits and can even allow you or your employees to work from home on occasion. This sort of flexibility in the workplace lends to happier employees who are more likely to be loyal to your business.
From an energy perspective, laptops can use up to 80% less energy than a traditional desktop computer. That’s because laptops use only 14 to 25 watts of energy when in use, and this is slashed to 1 or 2 watts when the laptop is in sleep mode. This means a lot of savings for your business in the long run.
If you do decide to make the switch, you will need to invest in new laptops, which can be costly so ensure that you pick laptops that will serve the needs of your business.
Switch Energy Supplier And Reduce Your Bills
When it comes to paying our bills, it’s easy to get yourself in a rut, but with many energy suppliers increasing their prices, now is definitely the time to shop around and switch to the energy provider that offers the best deal.
Many businesses are hesitant to make the switch though, as they feel the process can be too complicated, but it’s actually far easier than you might think. You can find out more in this handy guide on how to switch.
As well as your energy bills, be sure you shop around for your business insurance and other costs. Even with small savings, these all add up to save your business money.
Turn Off Plugs
As mentioned earlier, shutting down electrical equipment like your computers can help save you energy. However, many of us don’t release that office equipment can still expend power when they’re switched off.
Known as ‘vampire power’, the only true way to stop your equipment sucking up energy and costing you money is to unplug them.
This can be a tiresome task though – especially if you have a lot of plugs to remove. To make life easier, you can switch to power strips. This means that when you unplug the power strip, it means all the plugs attached are effectively unplugged too.
Be Careful Of The Office Fridge
We all love a bargain, especially when it comes to kitting out our offices. And, while we’re likely to buy the best in computers, when it comes to extras like kettles or fridges, we often opt for second hand in order to save the pennies.
This can backfire though, especially with fridges that were manufactured before 2001. These may seem like a bargain, but these fridges actually cost around three times as much to runas newer models. So, you’re far better to ditch your old fridge and opt for a newer model. You’ll save the difference in energy costs.
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