Energy is a necessary expense for all businesses, so it’s important for business owners to consider ways in which they can reduce their energy usage to save on costs.
Here are some changes your business can make, both big and small, that can help reduce energy consumption and save on your energy bills.
Assess your business needs
Depending on your business, your energy needs will vary. Office equipment can use up a lot of energy so it can be a good idea to assess if the equipment you have is servicing your business needs and providing the maximum efficiency.
Laptops use up considerably less energy than most desktops, so consider where you can switch your desktop computers for laptops. The monitor size can also contribute to the amount of energy consumed, with smaller monitors using less energy, so you may be able to use desktops with smaller screens. While you may have some employees whose positions require a bigger screen or multiple monitors, others will be able to get their work done on a laptop. Only use bigger monitors where needed.
Another change you could make is to move your business towards being paperless. As well as being good for the environment, printers can also use up a lot of energy. If possible get rid of any printers you don’t need. If you’re unable to remove printers entirely from your workplace, try to print only when necessary and avoid printing files that can be sent via email. This will reduce the amount of energy consumed by the printer.
Turn it off
Turning off equipment, appliances and lights when not in use is a quick and easy way to instantly reduce your energy consumption.
Set computers and other equipment to automatically turn off at the end of the day and utilise energy saving features on your equipment. LCD screens, air conditioners, photocopiers, computers, scanners, dishwashers, dvd players and TV’s are examples of appliances that tend to be left on standby. This can still use up a lot of energy. Getting into a habit of fully powering off these devices when not in use is a great way to save money on your bills.
You can also invest in timers to turn appliances and lighting off, or else a quick and easy way is to put up signs to remind employees to turn things off.
Switch to better equipment
Investing in the right equipment can help you significantly improve your energy consumption and lower costs.
Old equipment may no longer be working at maximum efficiency, which may result in wasted energy. Upgrade all outdated equipment with new certified equipment with a good Energy Star rating.
Upgrading to more energy efficient equipment and appliances is a worthwhile investment over the life of your equipment, but you also need to make sure they receive regular maintenance and cleaning.
Get your equipment cleaned and serviced at least once a year, or as regularly as required to keep it in top working order. When not properly maintained, your equipment can use up more energy.
Lighting
Depending on what type of light you have installed, you could be saving energy consumption and costs on your lighting.
An incandescent bulb uses more than 85 percent of its energy use in just heating the globe, with the remaining energy lighting it. Upgrade your lights to LED. LED technology provides a higher quality of light, with less energy consumption. They are also longer lasting than regular bulbs so will not need to be replaced as regularly.
Another update you can do with your lighting is to install light sensors. Light sensors can help reduce your lighting costs and ensure excess energy is not being wasted in areas that are not in use.
Conducting business energy assessments regularly can help you to understand where energy can be saved. For more on this, check out our blog on how to conduct an energy audit.