Businesses use more energy than private households due to the size and scale of their running procedures. However, there are still ways that your business could refine its processes and cut back on its energy use, saving money and improving its green credentials. Many companies underestimate the true cost of energy wastage- in some cases it is as high as 4% of annual turnover and it is estimated that businesses could save up to £23 billion per year.
Some of the main ways businesses waste energy include;
- Purchasing. Disparities between over purchasing and actual usage can cause energy wastage to dramatically increase. Surplus materials will need to be stored and potentially be disposed of before they are even used, creating unnecessary energy usage.
The employees responsible for purchasing office supplies can also take steps to prevent energy waste. For example, considering the recyclability of products and choosing suppliers that are environmentally conscientious, will contribute to reducing total energy wastage and opting for local suppliers will reduce emissions.
- Use of paper. The most common type of waste produced by offices is paper waste- it is estimated that most offices use around 45 sheets of paper each day per employee, but an energy saving office could cut this down to just 16 pieces of paper each day per employee.
To cut down on paper usage in your office there are a number of things your business could try. Reducing the number of printers around the office, printing on both sides of the paper and re-using paper as scrap paper are all great ways of cutting down paper use. Cutting down on the amount of printing and general paper usage within your office will aid your energy saving efforts.
- Heating/ air-conditioning. Businesses waste copious amounts of energy each year heating or cooling rooms that aren’t in use. Turn off radiators and cooling systems in rooms that are unoccupied to save energy.
- Lighting. Similarly to wasted energy from heating unoccupied rooms, lighting rooms that aren’t in use also causes businesses to waste a large amount of energy each year. In addition, using older style light bulbs that aren’t energy efficient will quickly consume energy, your business could save money by switching to energy saving lighting.
Businesses should regularly evaluate how much energy is being used and identify areas where changes could be made to cut down on energy wastage. How does your business promote energy saving around the office?
