How to reduce energy costs in the office?

There has never been a better moment to consider corporate energy expense reduction thanks to recent increases in energy prices. Using less energy is one of the best methods to save costs for your company. You may be passing up substantial chances to cut costs if you aren't already thinking about ways to reduce usage.  

There are several ways to lower office energy bills. Here is our list of 10 easiest strategies to cut corporate energy expenses: 

1. Change a provider  

One of the simplest methods to reduce energy cost is to switch to a less expensive provider. However, around a million companies may be passing up better offers by sticking with their present supplier. Today's suppliers provide a wide range of tariffs, some even provide various charges for use at different hours of the day. Therefore, it is worthwhile to conduct some research on several providers and select the best one for your company.  

2. Use LEDs in place of traditional lights.  

The transition to LEDs has already been made by many businesses and helps reduce energy costs. However, some people are still missing out on great prices. Replace your incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs, this way you may drastically reduce your energy costs by making small savings all over the place. Over 75% less energy is used by LEDs than by incandescent lighting. Additionally, LED bulbs don't burn out like halogen or incandescent bulbs do.  

The longer lifespan of LED lighting is one of its main benefits. The most durable LED light have been evaluated to survive as long as 100,000 hours, whereas conventional light bulbs were designed to last roughly 1,000 hours, which is around 40 days. On average, LED light bulbs last at least 10 years before needing to be replaced. 

By adopting energy-efficient lighting, you may illuminate your home for less money while using the same amount of light. An average household saves roughly €225 in energy expenditures annually by installing LED lighting, which accounts for about 15% of the electricity used in a typical home. 

3. Make everyone a part of it  

The fact that you're typically not the only person in the facility makes corporate energy management one of the most difficult tasks. Therefore, even if you act well, you probably won't notice much of a difference if you don't inform and include everyone else. Although challenging, motivating others to use less energy is not impossible.  

You can accomplish this, for instance, by teaching your staff, personalizing it, or displaying company energy-saving advice for staff in obvious locations around the office. 

4. Audit your energy usage  

You cannot begin to reduce your energy expenditures without knowing where you are already losing money. An energy audit's goal is to pinpoint areas of your business where energy use is costing your firm money. Effective energy audits provide the data in a manner that is simple to comprehend and make recommendations for steps you may take to lower your usage.  

An energy audit of a company will be performed by a certified energy advisor or auditor. Energy auditors are also in charge of doing energy efficiency evaluations of business and non-commercial facilities. You can easily find energy auditors through your power company, your local utility, or private companies. 

5. Use laptops instead of desktops  

Remember that laptops often use less energy than desktops when purchasing office supplies so it’s a great step to reducing energy consumption. Pick laptops whenever you can. The size of the monitor has an impact on how much energy is used. There are many individuals in your organization whose jobs don't require large monitors, yet graphic designers and those in related fields cannot work on small screens.  

According to statistics, laptops use 20–50% less energy than comparably sized desktop PCs. Although they use less energy than desktop computers, laptops nonetheless require more resources to build than those devices. 

In addition, whenever you step away from the keyboard for a period of time greater than a few minutes, set your computer to ‘go to sleep’. Even if you don't use your computer frequently throughout the day, starting it back up again won't take any more of your time but will consume far less energy. For your company, consistently using the sleep settings can result in annual savings of up to €35 per computer. 

6. Switch off, unplug  

Make sure to turn off and unplug all machinery when not in use, just like you would with lighting, it will save you a lot of energy costs. According to estimates, standby power costs the average office €500 per year. This applies to air conditioners, coffee vending machines, hand dryers, microwaves, printers, copiers, and scanners on weekends or during holidays. As this conserves energy and lowers your electricity cost, make sure all of your devices are unplugged after work.  

7. Control temperature   

It's a good idea to spend money on a programmable thermostat that can regulate the temperature of your office while no one is there. When heating is on, simple measures like keeping doors and windows closed decrease energy loss because they prevent heated air from escaping and cold air from entering.  

Additionally, check that your radiators and air conditioners are located correctly and are not blocked by furniture, as this reduces the effectiveness of the equipment. Energy saving can be significantly increased by installing a high-quality smart thermostat. Smart thermostats can cut energy costs by up to 23%. This could result in annual savings of several hundred euros. 

8. Light smart  

Consider whether the entire area needs to be lit, especially if it's a big office. When not in use, the lights in hallways, kitchens, and less commonly used areas may be turned off. If the office is open concept, using targeted lighting as opposed to equally lighting the entire area is probably more energy efficient.  

9. Strengthen insulation  

Many firms experience exaggerated energy costs as a result of inadequate insulation. Therefore, spending the time to enhance yours could result in real savings. Install insulation in the roof space, and any cavity walls, and, if you haven't already, get double glazing. A small financial investment will be necessary, but improved building efficiency will quickly pay for itself by reducing energy costs. 

Additionally, wall insulation can reduce the amount of energy used to cool and heat your office by about 25%. By choosing floor insulation, you can save about 20%. Thick carpets can reduce your energy use and insulate the water pipes that run through your walls. Whatever insulation method or methods you choose, if you lack the expertise to install it securely yourself, it's preferable to obtain the help of a skilled, competent professional. 

10. Go online  

Even though we live in a digital world, many offices continue to use outdated procedures. Nowadays, most meetings don't need to be held in person. By moving to virtual meetings, you can save energy on both travel and room operations. Providing more flexible, hybrid work arrangements for your staff has the added advantage of lowering workplace occupancy. By doing so, you reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool the office and reduce electricity costs.  

Conclusion 

Energy is becoming increasingly more expensive. Business energy management may be challenging, but if you put it off, your operational costs may increase dramatically. Some energy management techniques can be expensive and challenging to implement. However, there are numerous simple methods for reducing business energy costs. This article should have given you some ideas for cost-cutting strategies for your business.