When you become more energy efficient, not only are you helping save the planet, you’re also going to be saving money too. A win, win!
You don’t have to just save energy at home however, you can bring it into your work as well – every little helps. There are many ways you can reduce the amount of energy you use at work and being energy efficient doesn’t have to mean a huge lifestyle change and an adjustment in routine, it can just take a few small changes that ultimately make a huge difference.
Energy efficiency means cutting down the amount of energy required to provide the same service. It’s like using a more efficient LED lightbulb compared to an incandescent lightbulb – you’ll be getting the same amount of light but you’ll be using less energy in the process.
There are plenty of products, services and designs that can help you improve your energy efficiency. Using old appliances also adds to your electrical bill so ensure that they’re up to date and economical as possible.
One of the most used items at the workplace, the kettle. It’s very common for people to overfill the kettle when they’re doing the round of cuppas for the office but when you overfill the kettle you’re wasting energy and money so stick to just putting only the amount of water you need in.
Energy-saving light bulbs are a great alternative when you’re looking to save money and be more energy efficient as they last up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs and use around 80% less energy. So, by switching to energy-saving bulbs you’ll be saving up to £60 over the lifetime of the bulb!
This is a simple one but one many people tend to forget. If you’re not using lights, turn them off! It’s habit when you leave the office at the end of the day to turn all the lights off, so make it a habit when you’re leaving rooms you’re no longer in.
Many workplaces have dishwashers at the ready these days; just make sure you’re only running yours when it’s fully loaded. The same amount of energy is used even when it’s half full so rather than running it multiple times a day, wait until it’s full and run it then. Also, if your dishwasher allows you, stop the cycle when it gets to the drying stage and let it all dry naturally by leaving the door open.
When you leave your electrical devices on standby you’re increasing your electricity bill and emitting unnecessary CO2 so actually switch your devices off and unplug anything that isn’t in use.