Cutting Back on Workplace Energy Costs

Make a fresh start to the New Year with our tips to cut back on your workplace energy costs to coincide with Cut Your Energy Costs Day!

If your workplace or business is yet to make a joint New Year’s Resolution, why not make a pledge to try and reduce your workplace energy costs by putting some of these handy tips into use?

Tips for Cutting Back on Workplace Energy Costs

Lights Out

One of the most obvious but still important to include tips is to make sure to switch off any lights when they are not in use. If you work in an office that has multiple lights that operate in groups, try sticking Post-It Notes next to them so that you don’t switch any on unnecessarily. To make a real difference in reducing workplace energy costs for lighting, you could consider installing occupancy sensors that will automatically switch off when the room is not in use.

Powering Down

Similarly, it’s just as vital to make sure that any electrical items or appliances are also switched off or even unplugged when not in use too. It’s common for computers, laptops and other modern electrical equipment to use a standby mode instead of going through a full shutdown cycle. If this is the case, it’s worth double checking that you’ve selected your machine or appliance to fully shutdown, as this is another key way to cut back on workplace energy costs.

Regulate the Heating

One of the biggest talking points and debate in the workplace can be the temperature of the room everyone is working in. But it’s also important to realise that adjusting the internal heating system in rooms can be another way to reduce workplace energy costs. As these systems usually work on a zonal basis, note down the position of the thermostats in your workspace and which parts of the room they control. If your office is one that operates one heating control for the whole room, then make sure to consult everyone within it and agree on one set temperature as to avoid any potential conflicts/arguments.

Air for All

When entering the hotter months of the year, air conditioning becomes another important factor of the workplace. Whilst the benefits of air conditioning become clear when the sun is blazing, it can also be a huge drain on workplace energy costs. Where possible (and if you are able to), opening the windows of a building can sometimes provide the fresh air and cool breeze needed to keep people working at their best. If you sometimes encounter the issue of a window being open whilst the air conditioning is also operating, then you could ask for window interlocks to be installed. This will mean that as soon as someone opens a window, the air conditioning unit will switch off, saving valuable energy in the long run.

Reward Energy Awareness

You may find that you are able to get more of the workforce to co-operate with workplace energy cost cutting if you include incentives for doing so. If this is the case, consider implementing a rewards programme that awards a suitable prize for the person who saves the most energy by following some of the tips above. Or to encourage a team effort, create a reward for a full team effort on successfully reducing workplace energy costs throughout the year.