We’re often told how important it is to save electricity at home, both to reduce utility costs and ensure we do our little bit to protect the environment. However, quite often the energy that is consumed in an office is overlooked. Each year businesses end up paying millions of pounds by running electronic appliances in the office for up to 8 hours a day, resulting in wasted energy, while some appliances, such as internet servers and landline phones, run 24 hours a day.
Although you might not realise it, office appliances such as computers, printers and photocopiers consume a lot of energy even when they’re not in use. Applying some of the same energy-saving techniques that you use at home can be beneficial for businesses.
By simply switching appliances off rather than using standby options outside of business hours, for example, and using newer, more energy-efficient equipment, companies could save energy whilst lowering overall running costs.
Which appliances use the most energy?
On average, an office air conditioner can use up to 4,000 watts and cost up to £1,460 annually, making it one of the higher energy-using appliances in the office. Typically, the second-highest energy-using appliance is a server at 1,000 watts, costing up to £1,095 each year which is no surprise considering a server runs all day.
Other office appliances that use a lot of energy and cost businesses an extortionate amount annually are desktop computers, light bulbs, desk fans and computer monitors.
How can your business save energy and costs?
Whenever possible, switch off appliances at the plug when they are not being used. You can employ energy-saving modes for computers such as sleep or hibernation functions when they’re not being used.
An obvious action that is often overlooked in the workplace is turning the light off when you leave a room. Try to make use of natural daylight to reduce the usage of artificial lighting. LED bulbs can also extend the life of incandescent bulbs by up to five times.
By making simple adjustments and adopting good practices in the office in the same way you would at home, businesses can reduce energy waste and save on overall costs, as well as helping the environment.
If you’re looking for new ways for your company to save energy and lower running costs, take a look at the infographic below.
