Top 5 Ways To Reduce Your Workspace Electricity Bills

Reducing overheads, especially during such a financially turbulent time, is in the best interest of most small businesses this year. It can be an intimidating task, but what if a few small changes could help you learn how to reduce your bills and help you save money? 

Electricity is something that we all depend upon, especially in the office, with computers and electrical appliances running 24/7 in most cases. Costs can add up and before you know it, you dread receiving that monthly bill. 

How to Reduce Electricity Bills in Your Business

Luckily, there are a few options to consider to help reduce costs, as well as your businesses’ carbon footprint that aren’t drastic but can still have a significant, positive impact. Although these tips are centred around your office or workspace, they can easily be applied to households and other environments. 

So, what are the top 5 ways in which you can reduce your electricity bill? 

1. Go Paperless

In the age of technology, is there really any need for paper in the workplace? The cost of running a printer alone can be eliminated if you opt to go completely paperless. Not only saving electricity, but cutting out costs for ink cartridges, toner and paper altogether.

With plenty of resources available online for those still looking to sign contracts and share information packets, paperless is becoming the norm for many companies. Companies such as DocuSign facilitate businesses going paperless, and claim that it can save you time as well as money. Not only will it improve your carbon footprint, but you’ll never have to worry about paper cuts ever again.

2. Choose Energy Efficient Appliances 

How do you identify whether your appliances are energy efficient? Well, one of the easiest ways is to get an energy audit service. This way, a professional will advise you on what needs to be changed and help you identify where you are wasting energy.

Replacing electrical appliances is a key point of most energy audits. Assessing whether your current appliances are costing you money is an essential part of evaluating your current electrical usage and can help you understand what you’re paying for. Energy efficient appliances are rated for their energy efficiency. Choosing these over older models will help you cut down on your electricity bill in the long run.

3. Use Energy Efficient Lighting

Have you ever thought about what lightbulbs are used in your office? If the answer is no, it’s time to seriously consider what make and model of bulbs you are using. It’s thought that your lighting costs can make up to 35% of your total electricity bill, with traditional incandescent lighting one of the most expensive forms.

LED lighting is much more efficient in comparison, so it’s worth making the switch if you haven’t done so already. Of course, it would be ideal if you could use natural lighting as your primary light source; however, this isn’t possible for every workplace and supplemental lighting is usually necessary. Picking the correct lighting is an essential part of any workplace, not just for efficiency but also for the general wellbeing of those within it. Investing in proper lighting is vital, especially if you consider the fact that good lighting is proven to improve morale and productivity.

4. Nurture Better Habits

Even the littlest changes can have a big financial impact. If you work with other people, nurturing better habits can have a huge effect on your electricity bill in the long run. For instance, are your windows and doors always shut, or are they left open or ajar when someone leaves the room? Do you all flock to the kitchen appliances at the same time? Do you have a jumper at hand during winter or do you turn up the heating instead? 

Small changes to behaviour can help cut costs and improve your overall environmental impact. A few main behaviours to instill are:

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• Staggering office times can help reduce the strain on kitchen appliances, using them all at the same time can be more costly. Why not encourage tea-rounds instead of individuals boiling the kettle every 20 minutes? 
  

• Wearing jumpers in winter can help keep you warm and cosy without needing to overcompensate with the heating (not to mention, the same applies to the air conditioning in summer). 
  

• Ensuring you have double-glazing and keep the workplace relatively airtight can help keep the heat in during colder months, reducing your bills. 

At Highland we can supply and fit you with efficient systems for using ambient heat and heat recovery. View our recent case study to see how we can help reduce your heating bills. 

5. Switch off, Not Standby 

Leaving appliances on standby may feel energy efficient, but did you know that they can still use up to 50% of the electricity as they do when in use? If you work in an environment where computers are the main appliances, they may just be the biggest contributor to your electricity usage. It’s thought that approximately that two-thirds of the total energy used in office environments is attributed to computers. 

Simply switching off your computer at the end of the day, or even just switching to sleep-mode when you’re away from your desk, can help you work towards reducing your electricity bill with an almost immediate effect.

Looking for more advice? 

We work with businesses looking to improve the energy efficiency of their workplaces. If you’re interested in making your workplace more environmentally friendly, we can also offer you a wide range of environmental products and services. 

Get in touch with our team for expert advice and for help with your next project. You can also view our previous projects here.

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