Opus Energy energy efficiency top tips
Being more energy efficient is not only more environmentally friendly but it can also help save your business money.
The Carbon Trust estimates that on average UK organisations consume unnecessarily up to 30% of the energy they buy, costing businesses millions of pounds in lost revenue each year.
To be energy efficient doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive. Below are some simple tips from Opus Energy that companies can adopt to make a difference:
Turn off equipment when not in use
- On average, offices waste £6,000 each year by leaving equipment on over weekends and bank holidays. Just by getting your employees to turn off their monitors when they go home can make a big difference. PC screen consumption can often represent 1/3 of the electricity consumption in a modern office. Most of the wasted energy is given off as heat which your air conditioning unit will have to get rid of in the summer…using more energy!
Turn off the lights
- By switching off lights in rooms which aren’t being used your business could cut lighting costs by as much as 15%. During the day, make the most of the natural daylight by adjusting blinds and curtains accordingly
Use technology to save you money
- Fit infrared presence detectors to switch off lights when rooms or desks are unoccupied
Fit energy efficient light bulbs
- Replace all light bulbs with energy efficiency recommended bulbs, which will use around a quarter of the electricity and last up to 12 times longer!
Think before you print
- If your business needs to do a large print run, educate employees to think about whether this could be done during off-peak hours to save money. Also ink-jet printers use 90% less energy than other printers
Check for draughts
- Draught proof all windows. 20% of your heat can be lost through poorly insulated window frames and single glazed windows
Only boil what you need
- Encourage employees to only boil as much water as they plan to use
Buy energy efficiency approved equipment
- Buying a new energy efficient fridge could save you up to £45 a year and it will also have a reduced carbon dioxide output
Turn your thermostat down
- Turning your thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 8%. Check your thermostat regularly; the maximum recommended heating level for businesses is 19°C
Energy saving facts: Did you know…
- Laptops use 90% less energy than a traditional PC
- Leaving a PC monitor on all night wastes enough energy to microwave six dinners
- Lighting an office overnight consumes unnecessarily enough energy to heat water for 1,000 cups of tea
- A photocopier left on overnight uses enough energy to produce over 1,500 copies
- A typical window left open overnight in winter will waste enough energy to drive a small car over 35 miles
Opus Energy has developed a number of sector specific tips, click here to download the energy efficiency factsheets.
