The goal of every firm is the maximization of profits. Expanding a company’s profits is usually the result of either of two things; reduction of expenses or increase in production. Being energy efficient is a great way for any business to improve revenue. Energy costs represent one of the most fluctuating and highest expenses in most businesses.
In the last few decades, the world has changed tremendously. Some of these changes include the use of computers to smartphone chargers. Accompanying this transformation is a myriad of heavy monthly spending on energy.
The great thing about energy expenses is that with strict guidelines and rules set for yourself and your employees, you can minimize your business’s energy bill. It can be achieved without having to bear any negative effects on the company’s production. The steps you can take to ensure energy efficiency in your office are listed below.
1. Switch off all Appliances not in Use
When you really think about it, employees in most businesses fail to switch off their equipment when they’re done for the day. Most workers leave their office computers on through the night just so they don’t have to wait a few minutes for the booting up of the computer when they resume work in the morning. Leaving computers on all the time waste energy and increase office expenses.
To tackle this issue, a rule will have to be established in the office about employees switching off and disconnecting computers from electrical outlets once they’re done with work. The rule can further state that the employee to leave the office last must make sure all office equipment including coffee makers and refrigerators are turned off.
2. Getting an Energy Assessment
When you get an energy assessment, your business’s energy use can be ascertained and steps you can take to manage your energy will be explained in an energy performance certificate. It involves a professional conducting a survey of your office location to ensure there are no problems with insulation or issues like air leaks. Energy assessments take a few hours to complete with little or no disturbance to your firm’s operations. Energy performance certificates are rated from A to G with an ‘A’ portraying efficient energy use and a ‘G’ showing the least amount of performance in the energy scale.
3. Activate Power-Saving Mode
Office equipment like computers and printers have a sleep mode which hibernates the computer some minutes after it has not been in use. The power saving mode comes in handy when employees have to leave their equipment for a while. This way, even if they forget to turn off their equipment, energy is being saved. Power saving mode decreases energy usage by 70%.
To activate power-saving mode, you can check the manuals of various equipment to see if the sleep mode is automatically enabled on them. If it isn’t, you can use the manuals to set the power saving mode.
4. Make Use of Power Strips
Most people don’t know it, but office equipment that has been turned off use what is referred to as ‘phantom energy’. Basically, the equipment keeps on using a bit of power from the electrical outlet after they’ve been switched off. A power strip can be connected to all your office equipment. Once the power strip is turned off, all your office equipment goes off. This helps to save time if you or anyone on your team has to rush home from work.
5. Using Renewable Sources of Energy
The use of renewable energy sources like solar power has lessened energy costs by a great amount. If you’re thinking using solar is unconventional for firms, it’ll be beneficial for you to know about one hundred of the Fortune 500 companies use solar power for their businesses- and they have reported significant reductions in energy costs. The use of renewable energy is not limited to big companies. Small and medium-sized firms use them as well. After the cost of buying and installing solar panels, you get to pay absolutely nothing on your energy usage for several years to come, ultimately boosting your profits in the long term.
6. Set Your Thermostats
The amount of heat or cold your office space needs is necessary during work hours, not when nobody is present. You can program your thermostats to manage the temperature in your office when there are no occupants. This way, you get to save a lot of energy.
Businesses use up a lot of energy and this adds up to their business expenses, reducing potential profits these firms can make. There are certain ways a company can be energy efficient which include the use of solar power, switching off of electrical appliances, getting an energy assessment and so on.
