It is no secret that soaring energy bills have impacted businesses and households all over the country. Although many companies are enjoying having their teams back in the office, it also means that there is more energy is being expended.
That's why Big Energy Saving Week has come at the perfect time.
Energy Saving Week looks to aid and encourage everyone to save energy and lower their expenses. We are here to share the best ways to conserve energy in the office so you can decrease your gas bill and install energy-saving practices. These also help benefit the environment, so it’s a win-win all around.
What is Energy Saving Week?
National Energy Saving Week runs from the 17th-23rd January in the UK. The aim of this week is to bring awareness to energy-lowering tactics that can help people - especially during the current cost of living crisis. Many households and businesses in the UK face immense gas and electricity bills. So, this week is about learning how to reduce these as much as possible and create a more efficient office.Why is Energy Saving Week Important?
The average small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) could reduce energy bills by 18-25% by installing energy efficiency measures and implementing behavioural change. It is worth investigating areas such as heating, lighting, equipment, and draughts.
How Can You Save Energy in the Office? Here's our advice:
The question is on every employer’s mind right now. How can you save energy in the office? The Energy Saving Trust offers some great tips, and we have broken these down for you, so you can start your energy-saving practice this week.Heating
- Keep the Cold Out - Ensure that your team is closing the windows and the aircon is off whilst you are trying to heat the workspace. Make sure that any personal heaters are off if the space is already heated.
- Use Smart Heating Controls - To track and adjust the Ensure the thermostats are set for heating in the office at 19°C and cooling at 24°C or higher.
- Floorplan - Space out the desks so that employees aren’t too far away or too close to aircon or Allow enough space for airflow around the office and avoid obstructing the radiators.
Lighting
- Swap to LED + energy efficient lights - Make the switch and invest in good-quality LED and efficient lighting for your office. This will help lower energy consumption by a considerable amount.
- Interior Design + Layout - Make the most of natural light by ensuring it isn’t blocked by a big cabinet or Choose lighter paint colours and opt for a more minimal workspace to create a brighter workspace without needing all the lights on!
- Motion Sensor Lights - Do you have corridors or cupboards that are used only sometimes? Choose motion sensor lights for these spaces and conserve energy usage here.
Equipment
- Power saving settings - Use power saving settings on laptops and equipment to save Note to also avoid leaving appliances on stand-by mode.
- Swap to laptops - Desktops use a lot more energy than Laptops are a more efficient and practical option. Especially given many businesses now offer a hybrid working situation.
- Communal equipment - Make sure you have swapped to energy-efficient appliances in the kitchen, such as kettles and microwaves. Ask the team to ensure that all communal equipment is switched off at the end of each day too.
Tip: Draughts are a massive cause of energy wastage. Make sure that doors and windows are sealed and not left open. Heating costs can be lowered just by stopping cold air from getting in and warm air from escaping.
Tip: Either hire an external company or create your own energy audit and focus on these areas. See which areas you can improve and which are costing you the most money.
Here at Each Person, we consider our energy consumption in the office and our everyday lives, ensuring that we use the best practices to lower our energy usage. Small acts can make a big difference, and we've made it our mission to do more for our plant. Here are some ways we have tackled climate change head-on; setting up the functionality that Epoints can be donated to Eco-projects, planting trees (+9000 and counting) and reflecting on our commitment by contributing 5% of our profits to Eco scheme. We will continuously improve how we encourage and apply sustainability in the workplace. We also want to do better for our people, ensuring that we offer financial support and solutions during these difficult times by implementing the best saving solutions on necessities like food and fuel.
Looking for more information about how you can put in place Green Initiatives at work? Read our previous article here and learn more about our sustainability in the workplace mission on our website.
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Sources:1. ‘Energy Saving Week – October 17-23, 2023’, National Today -https://nationaltoday.com/energy-saving-week/2. Research to Assess the Barriers and Drivers to Energy Efficiency in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises - Government Department of Energy and Climate Change’, Department of Energy & Climate Change -https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment data/file/392908/Barriers_to_Energy_Efficiency_FINAL_2014-12-10.pdf3. ‘A guide to energy saving efficiency in the workplace’, Energy Saving Trust -https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/a-guide-energy-efficiency-in-the-workplace/
