Conserving energy in the office should not be about your company’s environmental-friendly advocacies alone. More than anything else, conserving energy in the office will reduce the cost of its upkeep. That’s important in running a business. You have to be resourceful in finding ways to reduce expenses in the office. There are a million ways to do this, but the most important thing to remember is to do it regularly and routinely. You have to make energy-saving a part of your organization’s culture.
Invest in Renewable Energy Resources
The most popular renewable energy today is solar power. However, you can also choose wind and hydropower. For the installation of wind energy, you need to look for a wind energy transport company that can haul the equipment you need. This is the most practical choice if your office is in a windy area. This way, you will also replace your local energy provider with a clean and efficient power source.
While the upfront cost might be surprising, you will recuperate the money you spent on wind and turbine energy equipment in the long run. In fact, experts said that you will get your money back in as fast as one year. Reducing your reliance on traditional power will pull down your energy costs.
Upgrade Equipment into Energy-efficient Models
When was the last time you upgraded your office equipment? The computers, peripherals, printers, fax machines, paper shredders, and many other things could be eating up power, causing your bill to spike. It may be time to replace your heating and air-conditioning unit. Even the exhaust fans in the bathroom and the refrigerator in the pantry might be asking for a replacement already. The older the models are, the more power they require to work.
Switch to Energy-efficient Light Bulbs
The common misconception is that opening one main light will save more energy. The truth is that it’s a waste of light because it doesn’t serve its purpose of illuminating your employees’ workspaces. Instead of switching on several main lights, install a lamp in your workers’ cubicles. This way, only those who need to turn on the lamp will use electricity. This is also helpful for their eyes since they will not strain them by depending only on a single source of light.
Switching to LED and CFL light bulbs is also a better lighting option. This will help save a significant amount of money. Make sure to be on the lookout for more energy-efficient light bulbs as new technology emerges almost every day. You can also pick motion-detecting lights, so they will automatically turn off if no motion is detected in the room.
Go Digital on Everything
You can scan receipts, upload them into the cloud, and tell your utility providers and suppliers to send future receipts to your email. Going paperless in an office takes a lot of commitment. However, this is probably the most critical step you need to take to save on energy costs. Paper takes up space. They also require printers and photocopiers, both of which will require electricity to run. Forget about paper billing, documents, contracts, and other things. You can go digital on all of these.
Organize a Carpool Among Employees
Car travel is responsible for one-quarter of carbon emissions and the general air population. If only organizations can persuade their employees to go carpooling instead. You can incentivize those who will carpool. You can either give them a gas allowance or discounts if they will buy a bike to ride to work. Another thing that will reduce the carbon emission emitted by your employees’ cars is to allow them to work from home. This approach saves time and money. Your employees will also be a lot happier.
Get a Smart Meter for Your Office
Most energy providers won’t charge you for the installation of a smart meter, so take advantage of that. Smart meters will display your gas and electricity usage. This way, you will know when you are using too much and figure out what you can do about it. Are you using more electricity when all your employees are in the office? If you implement a skeleton force for at least two days every week, will that save money? A smart meter will tell you these things.
Just like in your home, you have to reduce the cost of running your business. If the past year of the pandemic has taught you anything, it should be to save as much as you can and to reduce the expenses of both your home and business. Having cash in the bank will keep you afloat for a long time.