Every office can benefit from reducing their overheads – those big pesky bills can add up so quickly. There are some simple steps you can take in your workplace to reduce costs and minimise those really expensive bills, without having to compromise on comfort or productivity. Let’s take a look at perhaps one of the more expensive bills in a commercial space – the dreaded electricity bill. Here are a few ways to save precious dollars on power in the office:
Switch off appliances
This one is a really simple way of minimising the office energy bill. Make sure each person in the office switches off all appliances when they’re not in use – whether it’s the coffee machine that only gets used in the mornings, or the computers at the end of the day. Rather than leaving appliances on ‘standby’, still using power, switch them off completely. Make sure each person does a sweep of their own station each day before going home to ensure everything is off.
Better yet – unplug. If you have a space heater you know only gets used in winter, unplug it and put it away during the warmer months. If the kitchen is stocked with appliances that don’t get used often or at all, unplug them and put them away until someone actually wants to use them again – and make sure they turn it off again afterwards. This will also help to declutter the work kitchen – a win/win!
Air conditioning
Air conditioning can be very costly – but it doesn’t need to be, and you don’t need to go without and sweat your way through summer in order to save some money. Air conditioning in commercial spaces is often used year-round, but the key to reducing costs is to make sure you run the office air con efficiently.
This means programming timers on the AC so that it turns off at the end of the day, to save from accidentally running it through the night. If you find the office is a comfortable temperature when you arrive in the mornings during spring, you don’t need to turn on the AC right away. Get the office out of the habit of relying on the air con, and pay attention to when it’s actually needed. You can reduce a lot of unnecessary use without actually missing the air conditioning at all.
We know how tempting it can be to set the temperature to a frosty 17°C during the summer, but try putting it at 22°C instead. You’ll still get cool, but it won’t have such an impact on increasing your office power bill. Plus, it’ll reduce your environmental footprint.
Air conditioners need to be serviced regularly to ensure they’re working to full capacity. Commercial AC repairs are a great way to extend the life of your unit. Make sure you schedule regular services and maintenance for your office AC system – not only will it increase the life of the unit, but also ensure it’s working as effectively and economically as possible.
Sometimes upgrading and installing a new air con system is a necessary cost, and will lead to bigger savings down the road. Select a system based on the energy consumption star rating – this will ensure cheaper bills for the life of the unit.
Lighting
We’re not suggesting you get used to working in the dark, just be mindful of the lighting you use and how this can affect costs. Like the appliances and air con, make sure all lights are turned out at the end of the day to keep from racking up costs overnight once everyone’s gone home. And if you are blessed with a workplace that’s well-lit naturally, consider turning the lights out during the bright sunlight hours.
LED lights are cheaper to run and don’t need to be replaced as often as halogen lights. If your office still hasn’t switched over to LED lighting, get a commercial electrician out to rewire and replace the lights in your workplace – you’ll definitely notice the difference on your bill.
Getting each member of the team involved is a great way of saving money in the office. Remember, any money you don’t have to spend on bills and overheads is more money back into the business (think increased budgets, and Christmas parties!). Examine each monthly bill as they come, and see if there’s any opportunity to minimise that cost.
Electricity bills can be very costly in offices, so make sure all your appliances are working well and are regularly serviced. Find your trusted commercial electricians in Perth who can help you and your office on your journey to reducing electricity bills by identifying issues or repairs in your office space, servicing your air con systems and replacing lighting with cheaper LED lights. You’ll be cutting costs in no time!
Hemant Kumar is a project manager at Tridindia with more than nine years of commendable experience in writing about LMS, translation, and IT. His unmatched talent and passion for digital marketing gave him the opportunity to work as a multi-tasking project manager at TridIndia’s sister company, Link Building Corp. Today, he contributes to the world by imparting knowledge on SEO, link building and internet marketing etc., that helps business owners grow their online business.
