If you’re a business owner, you may have found recently that your energy bills have risen steadily over the years even if the habits of your workplace haven’t changed. There are likely a number of causes, but some can be remedied if you can identify where you may be wasting energy and then work to implement new, more energy-efficient habits.
Make Some Office Changes to Stop Wasting Energy
A lot of people and buildings are wasting energy these days, but “commercial buildings account for almost 20% of U.S. energy consumption” which is a huge number to grapple with. There are adjustments that can be made to your electricity usage and to your heating and cooling systems in order to lower some of these numbers and to make businesses less of a strain on the country’s energy.
If you have overhead fluorescent lights, but also have huge windows, you’re likely wasting a lot of power trying to light a room that could be lit naturally, at least in part. As long as everyone can see without causing any eye damage, you should try and utilize natural light as much as possible. It can also help with heating; instead of powering that loud, tiny floor heater, pull up the blinds and allow the sun to do its work. On the subject of lights, make sure that they’re always turned off when everyone leaves at the end of the day, and if you’re in control of the outdoor/security lighting, install motion sensors rather than leaving them on constantly. Finally, remember that not all bulbs are created equal, and that you can install much more efficient ones, like LEDs or CFLs in place of whatever you’ve had for decades.
Don’t forget about other electronics in the office, such as computers, printers, fax machines, and even kitchen equipment like coffee machines and microwaves. If you leave all of these devices on when you leave the office, consider putting them in sleep mode, turning them off, or even unplugging them when you depart. It may be a bit of a pain, but it’ll stop them from constantly draining power from their outlets. Even during the day, you and your employees should have screen savers to keep computers from using complete power during meetings or other periods where they aren’t at their desks. All of the above should be plugged into power strips to keep power loss at a minimum over the course of their use.
If you are running air conditioning or heating but the doors or windows are open, then you’re basically throwing money away. Doing so allows the hot or cold air to escape out of the room and will do nothing to improve the temperature of the one you’re in. As a result, make sure that you and employees are conscious of closing doors and making sure that windows are all sealed unless the A/C isn’t turned on. When everyone goes home, there should be an automatic adjustment to a more level temperature, one that may be uncomfortable during the day but won’t make much of a difference when everyone is gone. Lastly, to encourage the circulation of the air or heat, make sure that filters are all changed regularly or they won’t be able to do their job well.
There are a lot of ways for you to avoid wasting energy at the office. Taking small steps may make a big difference on your bills without sacrificing comfort. If you want to figure out how to get your commercial space more energy efficient, get in touch with Tim Kyle Electric.
About Tim Kyle Electric
Tim Kyle Electric has been delighting our customers with responsive, trusted and professional electrical services since 1986. We provide residential, commercial and solar power services and are experts in our field. Our team of professionally trained employees uphold our core values of honesty, respect and integrity. We are available 24/7 for your electrical servicing needs. Get in touch with us today to discuss your next electrical project.