One of the biggest sources of energy used by businesses is office equipment. With the energy price cap growing exponentially, and forecast to continue into 2023, companies will be looking for increasingly ingenious ways to identify energy-consuming sources, save money and reduce overheads.
A scrutiny of how you use your office equipment in the most energy-efficient way, could provide an instant fix towards reducing these energy bills and help in driving down costs – in some cases by a whopping 70%.
Most energy-consuming equipment in your office and how to lessen them
1. Heating and air conditioning
- During winter: Lowering the temperature by 1°C actually reduces 7% of energy consumption. Avoid bringing personal heaters or using extra heaters, and turn off heaters while office spaces are airing or when windows are open.
- During summer: Ventilate and air the office whilst it’s cool outside to reduce the need for air conditioning systems to be functioning. During the daytime, keep windows and blinds closed to block out the direct sunlight and its heat. If air conditioning is necessary, keep the temperature to approximately 4°C below the outside temperature. You can create a sense of freshness by installing ceiling fans.
2. Lighting
It’s a no-brainer to turn off unused lights, but you can increase energy savings by placing your desk next to the window and utilising natural light. Installing motion sensors in certain rooms, or opting for energy efficient light bulbs, are also good ideas to control energy bills.
3. Computers and monitors
Even if you put the computer on sleep/standby/hibernating mode, it can still consume 20 to 40% of power when switched on, so remember to switch it off. Be mindful of 3D effects screen savers – they can consume even more energy than active mode.
4. Printer, copier and other electronic devices
If possible, use equipment that has multiple functions (printer/photocopier/scanner in one) instead of individual ones and unplug all of them when they’re not being used.
5. Invest in energy-efficient devices
When choosing equipment, be mindful to choose models that are energy efficient. They can be more costly, however are ultimately a good investment to reduce total electricity consumption in the long run.
Benefits of energy-efficient office equipment
Other than cost-saving, keeping your equipment under control and improving its energy efficiency can yield the following advantages:
- Increase life cycle of equipment
- Lower carbon emission, greenhouse gas emission, water use and less impact on the environment
Taking further steps to cut overheads?
If an office relocation is on your business agenda, and you’re looking to find a professional, single-point-of-contact relocation service near you, look no further!
Cube Relocations has the skills and expertise to carry out a seamless and convenient office relocation, helping you cut down costly expenses in central locations.