Reduced energy costs in the office

Reducing energy costs in the office can seem like a challenge, but if done as a team, it can actually be a lot of fun. The trick is to make sure there are incentives to save energy and that there is a way to accurately calculate the energy saved. This type of initiative is something you can implement across departments and entire office buildings.

There are several ways that you can save money big as an office. Yes, it requires some changes, but in the end everyone will be happy about it. One of the most important ways you can reduce office energy costs is to upgrade your office equipment. This may seem like a very expensive thing at first, but you have to keep in mind that it will pay for itself many times over over the years to come. Old office equipment is responsible for much of the destruction and environmental damage. Think of photocopiers that can’t print paper on both sides, or old computers that use a lot of electricity when they’re on. By the time you get rid of that kind of equipment, you’ll already have a much greener office.

Some other ways to reduce energy

• Lights. Neon lights don’t have to be on all the time, especially if the office is lit with lots of natural light. You could have some kind of incentive to complete that any department that works without the lights on for the longest time gets some kind of reward. You should also make sure you don’t leave the lights on at night when everyone has left, as this uses up too much valuable energy unnecessarily.

• Motion detection. Install motion-sensing lights in the office that only stay on as long as there is movement in the immediate vicinity. In this way, you will also be able to save a lot of energy.

• If you have an office urn, make sure it is proportional to the number of people in the office and that you only boil it when absolutely necessary. Boiling kettles and urns consume much more electricity than people realize.

• Spread awareness. The one thing you can always do in the office to reduce energy is to raise awareness. Leave signs telling people not to leave the taps running, to turn off the lights, not to misuse the heating, and that they must get somewhere in terms of saving electricity.

However, if you’re ready to go for a full upgrade, you might want to consider getting some LED lights to replace the regular ones, since they burn out longer and don’t need as much electricity to run.