After taxes, rent, and payroll, one of the biggest budget expenses is office appliance bills. But there are ways that you can save on your energy cost and keep your appliance bills in check. Here are a few tips on how to keep on top of office utility bills. All these tips are practical and implementable in any home office or other facility and shouldn’t put a dent in your bottom line.
Turn It Down or Turn It Off
A simple way to save energy is to ask people to turn it down or turn it off. Turn off the monitor when you leave your desk and turn off the computer when you leave for the day. The energy electronics use when in “standby” mode is almost as great as what is uses when fully active.
Ask people to turn off space heaters and coffee makers when they leave their cubicle since this reduces both energy usage and the related fire hazards. When they leave on holiday break or a vacation, ask them to empty out their mini-fridge and turn it off. In the winter, discuss turning down the thermostat and letting everyone wear jackets or sweaters inside. In the summer, discuss loosening the dress code so that you could turn up the temperature a few degrees.
This is aside from investing in smart thermostats that adjust temperatures based on a thermal profile to balance energy usage with comfort. You can also implement technological controls like automatic logging off and shut down of equipment after a set period of inactivity.
Consider Utility Costs When Buying/Upgrading Equipment
When you’re debating whether to repair or replace equipment, look at the energy ratings of new equipment relative to what you have. One rule of thumb says to replace equipment when the cost of repair is half that of new equipment. However, if the existing equipment is an energy hog, replacing it when the repair cost is a third the price of a new item is economical because its operating expenses will be so much lower.
Also, compare energy ratings when buying new equipment. That window AC or space heater that’s a third cheaper may cost twice as much in energy bills after you’ve run it for a year. If your knowledge on appliance energy ratings is limited, you can get yourself informed before purchasing by reading the following article; https://bestbuy.com/home-appliances/appliance-energy-ratings
Consider Updating Your Lighting
Business owners often have no idea or undermine how much they could save just by updating their lighting and going with more energy efficient alternatives. Find out the optimal amount of lighting you need in any room, along with its power. Switching to CFL lights or LED lights could save you thousands per year depending on your office size. In addition, CFL and LED lights last longer than incandescent light bulbs. CFL lights last up to 6,000 hours on average, and up to 25,000 hours for LEDs, so you’ll be able to save on replacement bulbs as well.
Look for Eco-Friendly Solutions That Fit a Budget
We aren’t going to tell you to spend a fortune on solar panels put up on the roof. Not to mention that this isn’t a valuable option for everyone since sunlight hours aren’t always enough to supplement your main energy source properly. Nor are we going to tell you to put a wind turbine up in the parking lot as a constant generator. Instead, we’ll give you practical tips to save energy.
For example, look for drafts in your office and seal them. This is where a little investment in door sweeps, insulated drapes for windows and solar reflective film can save your office money on its energy bills each month. In some cases, just making sure doors aren’t left open makes a major difference. For older businesses, buying insulated front doors and storage area doors could save you money.
Don’t forget to look at insulating equipment. For example, a pizza oven that is more insulated needs less energy to heat the food while not overheating the air around the workers. Insulating hot and cold pipes means the equipment requires less energy to operate. Don’t forget to insulate your hot water heater too as they are prone to energy loss as well and will need to burn more energy to heat the same amount of water if not properly insulated.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are tons of ways that you can save on energy and manage your office appliance bills better. Turn off or down any appliance, electronic device or lightning you’re not using them. Don’t forget to implement technological solutions that aid you in this process. Consider the energy costs of equipment when buying new equipment and factor it into the buy/replace decision when repairs come up. Look for eco-friendly solutions that are friendly to your budget as well. Also, you should consider investing in updated lighting and improve your insulation to reduce energy loss.
