It’s simple for small businesses to be energy-conscious and save money at the same time. Investing on energy-efficient appliances or switching to solar power lighting may seem like unnecessary expenses at the moment but could help you save money in the long run.
- Turning off work PCs and laptops when away for long periods of time and shutting down at the end of the day is a no brainer but this is most often overlooked. Turning off unused office appliance are crucial in saving energy and lowering bills. You can also avoid additional energy waste by using power strips and switching the strip off or unplugging appliances.
- Studies show that hot and cold water coolers consume more energy than a large refrigerator. Use Energy star certified water coolers because they are more efficient water coolers than the regular ones.
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps. These are said to last ten times longer and cost 75% less to operate.
- Buy energy efficient office supplies. Use recycled printing paper, notebooks, cups. Stock up on refills instead of buying new stationery. You can also recycle office paper, ink cartridges, computers, phones and containers.
- Artificial lighting consumes a lot of energy and forms a large part of your electricity bill. Try and switch to daylighting using as much natural light in the office as you can. You can also install dimmers and motion sensors to automatically turn off lighting when an area is not in use.