Carbon Tlc

Carbon Tlc

Ways to Save Energy at Work

As more knowledge is gained about climate change, more importance is placed on reducing the carbon footprint left behind from everyday living. As a lot of your time may be spent in the workplace it makes sense to save energy there as well as at home.

Employers benefit financially from making their business green as well doing their bit for the environment. Reduced energy consumption means less money spent on essential bills which helps to cut overall running costs.

Collaborating with your employer helps to get the best results when it comes to sustaining a more environmentally friendly business.

The best way to see how and where you can save energy is to do an audit and then decide on areas where consumption can be lowered and costs cut.

The building that houses your workplace is a good starting point. Simply keeping doors between heated and unheated areas closed saves around £20 - £40 on a typical annual heating bill of £400. Sealing external doors and windows and keeping the draughts out could save you around the same amount of money.

Insulation is of key importance when it comes to keeping the heat in and the cold out. Insulating cavity walls and any roof space is the most efficient way of saving energy and any initial investment should be recouped within five years.

Ensuring room temperatures are thermostatically controlled helps cut costs. If you spend £600 per year on heating you could reduce your energy bill by about £48 for each degree the temperature is reduced. Remember to keep radiators free of clutter and leave enough space for the hot air to circulate.

Remember to reset any timers after the clock changes twice yearly from BST to GMT. There’s no point paying for heating when you don’t actually need it and taking a few seconds to adjust the time could save you pounds down the line.

Having the boiler professionally serviced could save you a significant amount each year simply because well maintained appliances run more efficiently overall when compared to those in need of some TLC.

When it comes to heating water make sure the hot water cylinder is well insulated. On an annual hot water bill of £160 savings of 50% could be achieved simply by having an insulated cylinder.

When it comes to life in the office there are plenty of things you and your colleagues can do to keep energy consumption levels as low as possible. One 17" desktop PC left on unnecessarily could cost around £74 per year. Just leaving a computer monitor switched on costs up to £37 per year to run so why not switch yours off at the end of each day.

More business energy can be saved through only switching on the equipment you need to use. A photocopier left on unnecessarily could increase an energy bill by up to £194 a year.

About the Author

Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

Barnsley College Think Low Carbon (TLC) Centre Turf Cutting Ceremony