As a business owner, paying your monthly energy bills most likely makes you want to do something to bring those costs down. Powering an office full of computers, scanniers, copiers, and printers can really add up.
Thankfully, there are a number of steps you can take to bring down those bills without changing office operations too much (or making your employees work in the dark all day).
Plus, using less energy in general is great for the planet, not just your wallet!
Switch out those bulbs
Making sure to use energy-efficient light bulbs around your office can make a big difference in your electric bill.
Many offices utilize fluorescent lighting to keep things bright– and it’s true that fluorescents are more cost-effective than incandescent bulbs, plus they have a much longer lifespan.
However, LED tube lighting is an even more efficient substitute for standard fluorescent lighting. They also last much longer than fluorescents. And when we say longer, we really mean it: LED tubes can last tens of thousands of hours longer than fluorescent tubes, at a fraction of the energy cost.
Finally, LED tubes are safer than fluorescents because they don’t contain mercury. So when they finally go out in a few years, changing out the tubes will be a breeze.
Get a professional opinion
You might be wasting money due to building issues, like poor insulation, gaps, or HVAC issues. Even an HVAC system that doesn’t receive regular maintenance can drive your energy bills way up; a dirty filter can make the system work much harder than it needs to in order to keep your office comfortable.
You can reach out to your local utility company for an energy audit. They’ll send someone out to check for things you might not have thought of, like insulation issues.
Take advantage of timers and motion sensors
During the course of a busy day, chances are good that you sometimes forget to turn off the lights when you leave the room. At the end of a long day, you’ve probably forgotten to adjust the thermostat before locking up for the night.
It could greatly help you and your company’s energy bills to invest in programmable thermostats and motion-sensing lights. Setting the thermostats to use less energy during off hours can make a big difference, as can using motion-sensing lights that turn off if nobody’s in the room.
Power down
It’s pretty common for people to leave computers and other office equipment running constantly. After all, waiting for everything to power up in the morning can be a drag– especially if you’re in a hurry to get working.
However, even equipment that’s not being used can use a lot of energy overnight. Think about it: if your employees only work for 8 hours per day, but everything’s kept running for 24 hours a day, you’re powering the office for an extra 16 hours every day, plus weekends!
Purchase or lease energy-efficient equipment
Older equipment tends to use a lot more energy than newer models of things like computers, scanners, printers, and copiers. Simply updating the equipment that your company uses might be an initial investment (if you choose to purchase) but over time, the difference in energy costs will make it more than worth it.
You can also locate energy-efficient models by seeking out equipment that bears the “ENERGY STAR certified” label. ENERGY STAR equipment is carefully tested to use energy as efficiently as possible, which means that it’ll definitely make a difference on your next energy bill.
If you’re interested in leasing the latest energy-efficient office equipment to keep your company running as smoothly as possible, while reducing unnecessary costs, give us a call at 501-833-8150 today!