From computers, monitors and printers to heating systems, air conditioning and lighting, the equipment needed for your office to run requires a lot of energy to function. This makes workplace energy a significant cost for most businesses. However, while the necessity of this equipment is, for the most part, unavoidable, there are a number of energy-saving hacks your office can use to reduce energy usage and wastage without compromising on convenience or practicality.
So, to make your office a greener place and to cut down on your energy bills in the process, here are four hacks to get you started.
1. Install LEDs and motion sensors
With data from the Energy Saving Trust showing that replacing all traditional light bulbs in the office with energy-efficient LEDs can cut the amount businesses have to fork out on lighing by as much as 80 per cent. With around 25 per cent of the average UK business’ electricity costs coming from lighting alone, another effective way to cut spending is to install motion sensor systems throughout the workplace. As business utilities expert Utility Bidder highlights, these systems are a simple and safe method of saving on energy costs and cutting down on energy waste without having to rely on employees remembering to manually turn lights off.
2. Keep an eye on the thermostat
When it comes to heating bills, you might be surprised at how much you can save with very small adjustments. For instance, by slightly increasing the set point on the thermostat for heating the office and lowering it for cooling, energy bills can be drastically reduced in the long term. Incredibly, a reduction of just one degree on the office thermostat over the winter period could see your business save up to eight per cent on your heating costs.
3. Don’t leave office equipment on standby
Common office appliances such as PCs, printers and projectors can use a lot of energy. As Utility Bidder points out in this handy infographic, average office servers can use 1,000 watts and air conditioning systems can consume up to 4,000 watts, costing up to £1,460 a year. Similarly, office PCs use around 100 watts costing £36.50 each per year on average.
Some of this energy can be saved if appliances are properly switched off after use. Hibernation and standby modes lower the amount of energy a device uses, however, electricity is still being consumed when devices are in these modes. To help cut down on your bills and make your office a greener place to work, switch appliances off at the socket whenever they are not being used.
4. Block office draughts
While it might sound obvious, draughts are a major source of temperature fluctuation in offices. To make sure you’re not spending more than you need to on heating, try to find and eliminate any source of draughts around the workplace From installing foam seals or metallic/plastic brush strips around windows to fitting door brush strips or weather bars to all exterior entrances, there are various quick, simple and inexpensive ways to prevent draughts. It’s also a good idea to fill in any disused extractor fan outlets with bricks or concrete.
So there you have it - four quick and simple energy-saving hacks for your office. While it may seem as though these actions are too small to make a significant difference, remember that when implemented collectively they can play a huge part in cutting down energy bills and reducing your business’ carbon footprint.
