Energy-efficiency is an effective way to save money and lower your business’s monthly bill. Investing in energy-saving tactics will help your business save in the long run, making efficiency a worthwhile endeavor. Here’s how to make your business more energy-efficient.
Lighting
Lighting is one of the biggest contributors to your energy bill. Old incandescent light bulbs require lots of power to operate. This power also generates more heat, further raising energy usage in the office. Using LED fixtures saves energy as well as money because they have a longer lifespan, decreasing the number of light bulbs you must purchase over time.To further improve the efficiency of lighting in your business, install motion-sensing or dimming light switches to prevent lights from being left on when they’re not needed. These lights will dim or turn off when there has been little to no motion in the area and turn on when motion is detected. Instead of holding everyone in your office accountable for turning the lights off, let the light switch do the work for you and your employees.
Thermostat Control
Managing your thermostat can be another great asset when you’re looking to be more energy-efficient. Be sure to manage your thermostat properly by lowering the heat and air conditioning when possible. Investing in a new programmable or smart thermostat will also save you money in the long run. These options are more expensive, but you can program them to adjust temperatures as needed—for example, turning down the office temperature during non-office hours—eventually reducing energy usage and costs.If a new thermostat isn’t an option, keeping up with the maintenance needs of heating and cooling units by cleaning and replacing filters can also cut down energy usage.
Office Equipment
Office equipment is a costly necessity that accounts for a large portion of your business's energy consumption. Some of the best ways to conserve energy are to turn off office equipment such as printers and monitors when they aren’t in use or to install power management systems that automatically shut down inactive equipment.Employee Engagement
Managing your company’s energy usage can be a lot easier when all employees are on board. Educate your employees on the importance of saving energy in the office. Getting your employees on board turns energy-efficiency into a team effort that benefits everyone when you can allocate saved energy costs elsewhere. This incentive will surely get employees to participate in energy-saving tactics such as powering off their monitors when they’re not using them.Work-from-home days are also great incentives to keep energy usage down with the help of your staff. With fewer people in the office every day of the week, less energy will be used, and the option to work from home may boost employee morale.
Knowing how to make your business more energy-efficient will benefit your business by keeping costs low, allowing you to save money where it counts or to allocate savings where needed.
