Tips to Reduce Energy Costs at Work

The economic struggles many organizations are facing today, combined with rising energy costs, means lowering the energy bill is more important now than ever before. To help, we wanted to share some tips on ways to cut costs.

• PC Power Management Software: 60 percent of business computers in the U.S. are left running after hours, costing enterprises billions of dollars each year. Adopting power management software is one easy way to take action now and achieve energy savings.

• Switch PCs off and avoid overuse: IT equipment accounts for around nine percent of all energy consumed by businesses - the third largest source of power for the commercial sector. Putting power management policies in place and ensuring all unused equipment is unplugged are two of the easiest ways to control power consumption.

• Use energy-efficient equipment: The EPA is developing ENERGY STAR specifications for enterprise servers and office equipment. When purchasing new equipment, consider energy-efficient versions that will significantly reduce amounts of CO2 emissions and save money over time.

• Use Compact Fluorescent Lights: Replace burnt out bulbs with ENERGY STAR CFLs that use 75 percent less energy and last six to ten times longer than standard bulbs. Also, incorporate motion sensors into rooms to ensure lights are off when the room isn’t in use.

• Office Environment: Create an optimal energy environment by addressing energy use in other areas such as water and the building. Make sure all building and water systems are working properly and when retrofitting buildings look for good alternatives like energy efficient HVAC cooling systems and low flow toilets.