4 Ways Your Business Could Be Wasting Money on Electricity
By Andrew Patricio
May 20, 2015
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
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By The Small Business Content Developers at BizLaunch.com
You may be mindful about your business expenses with regards to your budgets, travel, and even break room supplies. But are you ignoring one of the most obvious money wasters—your energy usage?
While leaving lights on in the office is one obvious electricity consumer, there are tons of others you may not even be aware you’re guilty of.
Here are four little energy monsters that can quickly and easily be squashed simply by changing your habits around the office—and by encouraging your employees to do the same.
It’s a point of contention during the day: half the office thinks it’s too hot, while the other half is freezing. But what happens in the 16 hours or so that no one is in the office? Most business owners simply leave the thermostat set to whatever it was at during the day, and in doing so, are consuming unnecessary electricity. Thankfully there is a solution.
You can lower your electricity bill simply by investing in a programmable thermostat like this one by Nest. Set it to adjust the temperature in your office by 10-15 degrees once the office is closed, and you could cut as much as 10 percent off your hydro bill. Likewise, if your air conditioning unit is outdated, you could upgrade to a more energy-efficient model. Many government organizations across Canada offer incentives for these types of upgrades, so try contacting your local electric utility to find out what rebates may be available to small businesses in your area.
If you don’t give much thought to the light bulbs around your office, it might be time to re-evaluate whether you’re illuminating your space as efficiently as you could be. Did you know that LED lighting—which uses at least 75% less energy than traditional bulbs—lasts 25 times longer than incandescent lighting? Upgrading your office’s lighting will deliver significant savings on cost, time and maintenance.
It might be a pain to remember, but shutting off the power strips for your computers, printers and other devices over the weekend will not only mean you’re doing your bit for the environment, but it will also mean you’re saving your business money. Consider investing in a timer that will shut powerstrips off for you if remembering to do so can be a challenge.
If you’re of the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset, you might not see the value of upgrading your office machinery. But by hiring a contractor to conduct a straightforward energy audit, you’ll be able to identify exactly how much energy those old machines are sapping. You may end up being surprised by the results—it might be cheaper over the long-term to upgrade to more energy-efficient machinery than to continue to pay your existing hydro bill.
As a business owner improving your bottom line is likely your top priority, but by reducing the amount of energy your business uses on an annual basis, you’ll be doing your part to lower your organization’s carbon footprint. Try and think of new initiatives to get your team excited about being more mindful about their energy consumption, and then wait for the lower energy bills to roll in.
Image: PhotoSpin
You may be mindful about your business expenses with regards to your budgets, travel, and even break room supplies. But are you ignoring one of the most obvious money wasters—your energy usage?
While leaving lights on in the office is one obvious electricity consumer, there are tons of others you may not even be aware you’re guilty of.
Here are four little energy monsters that can quickly and easily be squashed simply by changing your habits around the office—and by encouraging your employees to do the same.
1. You ignore the thermostat.
It’s a point of contention during the day: half the office thinks it’s too hot, while the other half is freezing. But what happens in the 16 hours or so that no one is in the office? Most business owners simply leave the thermostat set to whatever it was at during the day, and in doing so, are consuming unnecessary electricity. Thankfully there is a solution.
You can lower your electricity bill simply by investing in a programmable thermostat like this one by Nest. Set it to adjust the temperature in your office by 10-15 degrees once the office is closed, and you could cut as much as 10 percent off your hydro bill. Likewise, if your air conditioning unit is outdated, you could upgrade to a more energy-efficient model. Many government organizations across Canada offer incentives for these types of upgrades, so try contacting your local electric utility to find out what rebates may be available to small businesses in your area.
2. You have aging light bulbs.
If you don’t give much thought to the light bulbs around your office, it might be time to re-evaluate whether you’re illuminating your space as efficiently as you could be. Did you know that LED lighting—which uses at least 75% less energy than traditional bulbs—lasts 25 times longer than incandescent lighting? Upgrading your office’s lighting will deliver significant savings on cost, time and maintenance.
3. Your equipment is always running.
It might be a pain to remember, but shutting off the power strips for your computers, printers and other devices over the weekend will not only mean you’re doing your bit for the environment, but it will also mean you’re saving your business money. Consider investing in a timer that will shut powerstrips off for you if remembering to do so can be a challenge.
4. Your office machinery is energy-intensive.
If you’re of the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset, you might not see the value of upgrading your office machinery. But by hiring a contractor to conduct a straightforward energy audit, you’ll be able to identify exactly how much energy those old machines are sapping. You may end up being surprised by the results—it might be cheaper over the long-term to upgrade to more energy-efficient machinery than to continue to pay your existing hydro bill.
As a business owner improving your bottom line is likely your top priority, but by reducing the amount of energy your business uses on an annual basis, you’ll be doing your part to lower your organization’s carbon footprint. Try and think of new initiatives to get your team excited about being more mindful about their energy consumption, and then wait for the lower energy bills to roll in.
Image: PhotoSpin