Did you know that you can save a lot of money by optimizing your office? When it comes to money it often sounds all too complicated, time consuming and difficult. Nevertheless, a few small steps can take you a long way, and help you to become more eco-friendly.
We have heard about the importance of being eco-friendly, a million times. We know that climate change is really happening and that is not just the crazy theory of some attention seeking scientist. We also know that our energy resources will, at some point, become scarce, and that, consequently, we have to change our way of living and thinking. Admittedly, it is easy and tempting to just sit back and wait and see what solutions our governments will come up with. Whilst it is, of course true that they can make a bigger difference, a country is not just its government. Businesses could and should make a huge impact, the good news being that they don't even have to change their entire structures to do so, In fact, as has been demonstrated in this article, businesses can save a lot of money just through implementation of some simple, but very effective, strategies.
So let’s look at how to save business energy
A heated debate
When it comes to heating we are all different. Some of us want to be warm and cosy, others don't mind a slight chill. In fact, we all perceive cold differently. Nevertheless, the matter at hand here is not how warm or cold people feel, it is, rather: how to save energy and the heating in your office is a key factor in doing just that.
So how do you do it? First of all, over heating should be avoided by any means – it is just a useless, waste of energy. No one enjoys sitting in an office that, temperature wise is reminiscent of a beach bar. Thus, keep the temperature down to 20 degrees. You really don't need it to be any higher in an office, with so many computers running, as well. And remember that it doesn't have to be equally warm in every room. The kitchen and toilets can be slightly colder.
Air-conditioning– the worst offender
Ask your employees; how many of them actually like the air-conditioning? The answer will, no doubt, be: not that many. Even modern air-conditioning systems still use a lot of energy. No one expects you to sit there sweating pints, in your office on a hot summer’s day. Of course, you can still use your air-conditioning, just use it sensibly. How many hot summer’s days do we really get, anyway, especially in the UK? It might sound obvious, but, surprisingly, many people still get it wrong: Before you switch on your air-conditioning, make sure your heating is off.
At some point you certainly will use your air-conditioning, therefore it’s also very important to remember to have regular maintenance checks undertaken to ensure that it is working as properly and as efficiently as possible. However, it’s also just as important to remember the golden rule when using air con: never over-do it. Overuse of air-conditioning will, of course, cost you more in electricity, however, it’s also well documented that aggressive air-conditions can cause the infamous summer cold: something to bear in mind if you don't want half of your employees calling in sick!
The innocent kitchen
The office kitchen, it might look a rather innocent place, however, should you also be keeping a watchful eye on it? How old are your kitchen appliances? Do your employees arm up their food in an energy saving microwave or do they use the old style electric stove? How much energy can you save with your dishwasher? The amount of water and energy a dishwasher requires is varies significantly, according to the model. Some dishwashers’ use less water than you would when washing your dishes by hand, such technology will, be more expensive to purchase but is a good long term investment. Have a look at your fridge, it should be around 7 degrees in there, there is, after all no need to freeze your fruit and veg to death!
Again, tips such as that outlined above, might sound simple and pretty obvious, however, it is really does seems that, in practise, these are just the kind of apparent trivialities that we get most wrong, and that if we start addressing, can all add up and allow us to make a real difference. Getting the little things right, therefore can allow us to make a profound difference not just to the environment but also to the company budget.