Businesses can reduce their cost of energy by implementing changes that are cost effective and energy saving. To find energy saving rates, businesses can view websites that offer comparison services to provide them with utility provider options.

Let’s discuss the ways that employees can save energy while at work.

Work Energy Saving Tips

Lighting, heating and the type of equipment that is used at work are all areas which affect the energy usage.

Lighting

There is a myth that says if you leave lights switched on instead of turning them off and on again you will save more energy and that is untrue. Anytime a light is switched on, it uses electricity, the longer it burns, the more energy is used.

Employees should remember to turn off unnecessary lights especially if they are not using the lit space. To have energy efficiency when it comes to lighting, here are a few things to check off your list.

• Use LED lighting instead of regular light bulbs.
• For areas with limited use, use a motion detection lighting system so that it only turns on when someone walks into the space or is present within the room.
• Replace old bulbs frequently so that you are not wasting energy by burning dim bulbs and they cannot be used properly.

Try to incorporate natural lighting into your workspace. Using the sun as a Lightsource can add to the productivity level within the work environment.

Rearrange furniture to get the full use of natural lighting instead of having to use desk lamps and other artificial lighting overhead.

Heating

Heat can escape without you being aware that you are experiencing heat loss within the building.

The human thing to do is always just turn up the heat setting when we are feeling cold. However, lack of insulation methods, or having open spaces can lead to draughts.

There are a few things that employees can also do to check that energy is not wasted when turning on the heat.

• Check that all heaters/radiators have been serviced and work properly.
• Make sure that employees are not using extra heating systems at their workspaces such as portable heaters while the heating system is turned up.
• Make sure to check that no windows are open when the heating is turned on.

Another myth about heating is that if you turn up the thermostat high, it will heat the room quicker and that does not work. It does run up the energy bill and takes its usual pace to heat up to the temperature you set it to.

Companies can also install heat controls so that they can manage when the heat has been on for too long and control the amount of energy used to heat up a space.

Equipment Used Within Workspace

Equipment is another aspect of the workplace that takes up a lot of energy. Computers and machinery are necessary for production and thus leads to the need for electricity to be used in large amounts.

There are ways employees can cut on excessive energy use.

• Switch from computers to laptops as these can be operated on battery power without always needing to plug them in to an outlet.
• When finished using computers at the end of the work day, employees should shut them down completely and pull out the plug from the wall to reduce any electricity flowing through the power cable while it is turned off.
• Use the power saving settings on all equipment to reduce the usage of energy when it is on.

If the work area has a kitchen, the appliances should regularly be checked for any faults or replacements of cords/plugs.

Also make sure to keep fridge doors closed properly so that no cold air escapes when it tries to keep the food cold, also be sure to regularly have the fridges defrosted so that the motor does not burn out.

Here are a list of other energy saving tips that can be implemented to help employees save on the usage of energy.

• Make a switch to use a digital form of communication instead of printing everything on paper.
• Have remote work days which allows for employees to work from home- saving on having to be at the office and use the resources available.
• Install solar power systems.
• Make use of energy audits regularly to ensure that there is no wastage.
• Start planting trees to help protect from outside elements and provide natural cooling for buildings instead of making use of air conditioning systems.

Conclusion

These tips can easily be implemented and allow for employees to take these practices home as well.

It can take some time for everyone to get used to making changes that are supposed to save on the energy bill but it also reduces the workplace carbon footprint and leads to a cleaner environment as well.

Don’t wait to make these small changes and use the saved money on becoming energy efficient and a sustainable business.