In an age where everyone is concerned about their carbon footprint, office managers and business owners are looking for ways to be more sustainable. Although a greener office is a worthy goal, committing to a more eco-friendly workspace can also have the added bonus of lowering your business bills too. Reduce your energy use, and your bills start to reflect the efficiency in some very real monetary value. If you have been putting off making your office more environmentally friendly because you’re concerned about the initial outlay, don’t panic. These two essential starting points might make all the difference when it comes to paying those annoying bills.
Have an energy overhaul
Running an office means making sure that your workforce are comfortable at all times, and that means having a strong level of control over the heating system. In the colder months especially, taking control of your heating system will reduce your carbon footprint and your bills too. Consider eco-options like solar panels if you have the space, and talk to professionals like Cool Dude AC, who can do a full check-up of your heating system and advise you on the best ways to reduce your overall energy costs. When office productivity is so closely linked to office comfort, the greater the level of control that you have over temperature, the more you’ll be able to cut unnecessary costs while maximising office work-efficiency.
The biggest waste culprits
If you had to say which office appliance wastes the most energy, you might think that your computers or printers are the main culprits. The fact is one appliance that you should consider getting rid of or managing more efficiently is the microwave. It might be hard to believe, but the office microwave could be more responsible for your high electric bill than you think. Consider how often the office microwave is actually in use. 99% of the time, a microwave sits in the staff kitchen doing nothing but waiting in standby mode and draining energy like a vampire. Obviously, all of your electrical appliances should be turned off when not in use, but start with the microwave and work your way around the office. If you leave laptops on standby overnight or have a printer that’s always on, commit to an appliance turn-off before you leave at the end of the day. Power down and your bills will go down too.
Like the microwave, people rarely consider just how much energy they are wasting through unnecessary lighting. Lighting bills may not be the highest, but they do add up over time. Of course, much furore has been made about the benefits of low-energy light bulbs, but you can always take it a little further than that. Technologies like motion sensors can work wonders, especially if they are used in bathrooms and kitchens. There is no need to have the lights on in those rooms at all times, and the waste will be reflected in your sky-high quarterly bill. You could even go wild and make more use of natural light if you’re only using the office during the day. Get rid of the blinds or even have a skylight installed, and your lighting bill will be drastically cut.
Whether you’re looking to become more eco-friendly because you care about the environment or because you’ve realised the potential money-saving possibilities, you have plenty of ways to embrace both. Look carefully at where you’re spending money, and invest time in researching ways to cut those costs. Not only will your carbon footprint become smaller, but those frustrating outgoings will be smaller too.