When the temperature starts dropping, it can be hard to resist the temptation to crank the heating in the office.
But before you reach for the controller, there are a few things you can do in the workplace that may help you reduce your reliance on the heating during winter and lessen your businesses electricity bill. Here are 7 easy ways to stay warm in the office, without turning up the heating.
Close the curtains
Do you know how much heat escapes through your windows? It can be up to 40 percent.
Window dressing with curtains and blinds can help improve the insulation of your office and mitigate the effects of the cold. When closing the curtains you don’t want to trade in the heating for lighting however, so invest in curtains or blinds that will still let in enough natural light, even when closed.
Keep in mind though that if the sun is blasting, it’s a good opportunity to utilise this free heat source and you may want to keep the curtains open during sunlight. But any time it’s dark outside, keep the curtains closed to trap in the warm air.
Pull out the blankets
Is there anything cosier than having a blanket over your lap or wrapped around your shoulders?
Keeping blankets at work is a simple and practical way for employees to stay warm during the day. Supply blankets to your employees, or encourage them to bring one from home to make their workspace more comfortable and warm.
To keep the workplace looking professional choose darker colours, or even get your own business branding on them. They can be tucked away when not in use to keep the office looking tidy.
Keep doors closed
Often an office is a big space, which can be much harder, and more expensive, to keep warm. If you leave doors open during the day, you’re just letting all your heat go to waste.
Closing external doors keeps cold air out. Even closing internal doors can help prevent wasted energy costs, and keep the heat only in the spaces in use. Keeping doors closed allows pockets of warm air to be contained and help prevent wasteful energy loss.
You should also check doors for any draughts, as there may be gaps in doorways through which your warm air escapes, and cold in comes in, making your heating less efficient.
Encourage movement
Sitting for hours on end is not great for your body, but it can also result in you feeling colder. Encourage your employees to get up and move around during the day. This helps improve circulation and warm up the body, so your employees will stay warmer.
Regular breaks to get up, walk around, and stretch are good for the body, and may also give employees a productivity boost, especially if they’ve been looking at a screen for hours.
Stock your office with hot drinks
Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, there are endless options for a hot beverage. These can warm you up from the inside out, so make sure you have a station set up in the workplace for employees to make a warming drink.
Whether you have a proper kitchen or a drink station, it provides a good excuse for employees to move around (which also helps them warm up), and a hot mug will also help employees keep their hands warm.
Book in system maintenance
As systems get older they can become less efficient, which may result in you needing to increase the temperature to get enough warmth for the office.
Booking in regular maintenance for your heating systems may help you save money in the long term, as it will improve the lifespan and efficiency of your system. Making sure your heating system is in optimal working condition may help you keep running costs down, as your heater will be more efficient when warming up the office.
Run ceiling fans in reverse
Does your office have ceiling fans? If it does, then you might consider turning them on during winter.
While it may seem counterintuitive, reversing your ceiling fan can actually help warm up your workspace. Changing the rotation of your ceiling fans to clockwise can help push down warm air back towards floor level, making your office feel much toastier.
This may help you cut down on heating costs, as it costs significantly less to run a ceiling fan than to turn on your heating system.
For more tips on saving energy costs in the workplace, check out our blog on how your business can be more energy efficient.