Energy costs are constantly on the rise. Electric bills and fuel costs seem to go up with each month's bill. Being eco-friendly is not only good for the environment, but it can help your company's bottom line as well. The less you spend on energy, the more you can invest in your business.
Here are a few tips for saving energy in your office:
1. Try turning the AC up or down a degree or two and see if the office is still comfortable.
2. Keep doors and windows closed so that the temperature does not go up or down frequently and thus you can switch the AC off after a couple of hours instead of leaving it on all day long.
3. Turn off all computer equipment at night including printers and other peripheral components. Connect them all to one power strip so they can be turned off with one switch.
4. Keep shredders and other equipment turned off or unplugged when not in use. This can include coffee makers, phone chargers, printers, etc.
5. Make sure copiers automatically go into “sleep” energy saving mode when they’re not being used.
6. When you buy new office equipment, make sure it has the Energy Star label.
7. Switch to compact florescent bulbs or LED bulbs. They last longer and are cheaper to use than incandescent.
8. Recycle. Paper is used in large quantities in almost every office. Try to reuse the back side of paper for notes. Save used paper and take it to a bring in centre. Save cans and other items in the office kitchen that can be recycled.
9. Read newspapers and journals online instead of buying the paper versions.
10. Turn out the lights when you leave for the day. Keep kitchen and bathroom lights off when not in use.
11. Consolidate office errands into one trip. Instead of running to the bank one day, and then the next day going to the office supply store, schedule all errands to be run at the same time.
12. Whenever possible, shop from stores that deliver products to your office.
13. Consider using a laptop computer when possible. They use less energy than desktop models as well as being more mobile.
14. Hold tele-conferences instead of driving across town for meetings.
15. Let your employees work from home when possible. If not all the time, perhaps one or two days a week. This saves electricity in the office plus the fuel they use driving to work.
