2022 has seen an unprecedented increase in the UK’s energy bills. Ofgem advises that the energy price cap will rise by a staggering 54% due to record highs in gas prices. Workplaces, like households, are striving to implement energy-saving practices to help make the monthly energy bills more manageable. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that small and medium-size businesses could reduce their energy bills by up to 25% by implementing energy-saving measures.
Saving energy in the workplace needs to be a team effort. Small changes made by all will have a notable impact on the company’s energy consumption. Realistically, some employees won’t have a vested interest in their employer’s energy (and therefore financial) savings. Consequently, it is prudent to highlight the environmental benefits of collaboratively reducing energy usage at work. The company may also like to propose employee perks for contributing to energy efficiency in the workplace as an added incentive.
Simple, practical office energy saving steps will soon become standard practice for staff members. The following easy and effective office energy saving tips will make a real difference to your workplace energy use, and there could be no better time to make these changes.
-
Get a smart meter
An invaluable way to monitor your workplace energy use in real-time, a smart meter will allow you to assess the energy use across the workday and week. Your energy supplier will be able to provide you with a smart meter, and you can use this to carry out your own energy audit. This information will highlight peak energy times, and you can then use the following tips to help flatten out these peaks or offset them.
If you’re struggling to get your workforce on board with your office energy-saving ideas, the evidence provided by a smart meter can really help to highlight the impact your changes are making. If your workplace is target-oriented, use this to your advantage, setting monthly energy reduction goals.
-
Change your lighting
Making changes to the lighting is one of the best office energy-saving tips, being easy to implement but incredibly effective. First, if your workplace uses incandescent filament bulbs, switch to energy-efficient LED or halogen lights. This swap could reduce your lighting energy usage by up to 80%. If the cost of this swap is viewed as a problem, keep in mind that energy-efficient bulbs not only last longer but can also increase the lifespan of the light fittings by up to three times.
If possible, use dimmer switches to allow you to focus your lighting in work areas, with softer lighting elsewhere.
Consider installing occupancy monitoring sensors to prevent lights from being left on in meeting rooms, toilets and corridors. If these aren’t within budget, improve signage to encourage lights to be switched off in unoccupied rooms.
Where possible, try to reduce the overall use of lighting, opting instead for natural window light. A study published in the Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health advised that office workers exposed to natural light scored 42% higher in cognitive tests than those working under artificial light. This echoes other studies which demonstrate greater workplace productivity in natural light. You can enhance this natural light by using pale paint on the walls and choosing vertical rather than horizontal blinds, as these allow in more light while maintaining staff privacy.
-
Manage your heating
Good window ventilation tends to manage our summer temperature highs in the UK, and air conditioning isn’t usually required. However, to create a comfortable environment during the winter, there’s no escaping the need for heating. The level set on the workplace thermostat can significantly impact energy usage. A one degree centigrade of overheating can lead to an 8% increase in your workplace energy bill. While you can’t allow employees to work in a chilly office, you can certainly check how people feel at a degree lower than the usual winter heating temperature.
Invest in a programmable thermostat, and then take the time to schedule your heating changes accurately. Remember to factor in the clock changes in the spring and autumn and weekends and bank holidays when the workplace may be empty.
Draughts and poor insulation are the enemies of the energy-conscious workplace. Book a thermal imaging survey to discover where heat is escaping. For example, up to 40% of the heat in an office can be lost through a poorly insulated roof. Encourage your company to:
- Improve insulation – sufficient ceiling and roof insulation has been shown to make an office 5% warmer during the winter months. If your workspace has a water heater which is seven or more years old, consider insulating the heater. All water heaters benefit from insulation around the first three feet of the heated out pipe.
- Step up their draught exclusion – check the seals around windows, especially in older buildings.
- Switch to double glazing if applicable.
Make sure the radiators and heaters in the office aren’t being blocked by furniture such as filing cabinets, desks or cubicle walls. Although rearranging the office layout is a large job, improving the flow of air through the workspace will be helpful in both the cold and warm seasons.
To make office energy savings during the winter, ensure doors and windows are closed as often as possible. Encourage lowering the thermostat temperature before resorting to the opening of doors or windows if employees find their workspace stuffy.
Finally, consider switching off heating in areas rarely used in the workplace, such as stock and storerooms, closets and spare office or meeting rooms.
-
Appliance training
Employees may be perfectly competent in the normal use of their workplace appliances, but many aren’t aware of how they can be made more energy-efficient. Run a training day where you can teach staff about:
- The traffic light system for switching off appliances. Those with green stickers must be turned off when not in use, those with amber can only be turned off by authorised individuals, while those with red stickers must be left switched on, even when not in use.
- The savings made by switching off all appliances on the desk at the end of the working day. This simple act could save up to £35 in energy per desk per year.
- The power drained by appliances on standby. This mode only reduces the appliance’s energy use by 50%, so switching off is the only way to make the big energy savings.
- Energy-saving modes, such as the hibernation mode for computers.
-
Swap appliances
If it’s financially feasible, consider swapping desktop computers for laptops. This switch offers energy savings, and the use of laptops allows for more flexible working for employees. As lockdown has shown businesses, there may be numerous benefits to increased homeworking for staff – including office energy savings.
Older appliances are nearly always less energy efficient. Consider the longer-term financial savings of replacing older models with new ones. Focus initially on the most used appliances in the workplace, such as photocopiers or critical operational machinery.
-
Cut back on kitchen energy
The workplace cafeteria and lunchrooms are high-energy zones thanks to the demands made by their refrigerators, kettles and microwaves. The nature of the workplace means that these items are used regularly throughout the day.
It is well worth investing in a hot water caddy or even a hot drink vending machine to help reduce the costs incurred when a kettle is boiled repeatedly during work hours.
Microwaves are heavy on energy use too. Given how popular they are for warming employees’ meals, investing in models with an energy-saving setting is an excellent idea. Make a sign to place by the microwave, reminding employees to switch it off at the end of the day.
The office refrigerator is often somewhat neglected when it comes to maintenance. Especially if it has a freezer compartment, be sure to defrost and clean the appliance regularly to prevent unnecessary energy drainage.
-
Mindful Printing and Photocopying
Many companies are striving to “go paperless”, and while this isn’t always practical, there are energy savings to be made by reducing printing and photocopying.
You may wish to encourage the use of emails over paper mail to cut down on printing. This is an achievable energy-saving policy for internal communication within the business. You can also encourage employees to photocopy in batches rather than making numerous trips to the copier across a day.
-
Invest in solar panels
Though associated with a high initial outlay, investing in solar panels for the workplace offers excellent long-term office energy savings. Cheaper than they’ve ever been, now is a good time for a company to invest in solar power, and there may even be green business grants available. What’s more, if your business installs enough panels, it may generate more energy than your workplace uses. This surplus energy can be sold back to the grid, meaning the panels generate money for the business.
The Carbon Trust offers business free energy efficiency advice to help a business select the best renewable energy measures for their workplace.
We hope you found our office energy saving tips useful! If your workplace is dedicated to improving its eco-friendly credentials, saving energy is a great place to start. As well as taking steps to reduce its energy usage, it can also make the switch to recycled and recyclable office supplies such as paper and envelopes. Avansas offers a range of eco-friendly product lines, including premium options.
Resources:
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes
https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/a-guide-energy-efficiency-in-the-workplace/
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/9/3219/htm
https://www.carbontrust.com/resources/better-business-guide-to-energy-saving
