Running a business is hard work. You control all the expenses, manage your employees, and deal with all the problems that your business encounters. Your labor is ultimately made worth it by the income that you make because of it. Hard-earned cash is the best motivation in running your business, after all. But even after receiving your earnings, you may find that you are losing money in more ways than one. This may come in the form of little expenditures on emergency buys, failed investments, and growing utility bills.
Your business’ use of energy should always be managed to avoid financial loss. The eyes may not easily see it, but these excess charges accumulate and will cost you much in the long run. Fortunately, there are many simple steps that you can take that will significantly reduce your energy consumption and overall utility bills. Here are some practical tips to help you save more in your business.
On Appliances
-
Use more efficient equipment
Using more energy-efficient office equipment can help reduce business costs. From computers, printers, and other appliances, these kinds of equipment are usually newer models designed to consume less electricity even with prolonged usage. Many of these will be a little more expensive to purchase than your usual devices but will evidently lessen the costs of your electric bill as the years go by.
-
Enabling energy-saving features on devices
Many computers and accessories have energy-saving features on them for your convenience. Usually, these are not set as the default setting, but you can easily turn the power-saving mode on by reading the manual or with just a quick online search. This feature helps to lower energy consumption by turning off unnecessary background operations in your devices. It may lower your screen brightness, suspend auto-updates, and turn off the location services. Ensure that you check out what the feature does to your device to ensure that you are not disabling the system processes you need.
-
Unplug devices when not in use
The most practical step that everyone knows about but always forgets to do is turn off anything that consumes electricity when it is not being used. Even with modern technological advancements that regulate power consumption on our devices, many appliances still use power when plugged in. This small power usage of idle electronics can accumulate and result in large expenses in the long run. So turn them off and unplug them whenever you can.
On HVAC
Your HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system has to be maintained to keep them from consuming much electricity. On hot summer days, consider alternatives to turning down the temperature of your air conditioning with more practical solutions like letting employees wear more comfortable clothes and opening windows to let in the fresh air. For the cold winter, your heating system may have to work on extended hours every day for months and weeks, so consider replacing your furnace with a more updated and sustainable model that can lessen electricity consumption. Cleaning out HVAC filters should also help to circulate good air in the office, preventing you from adjusting the system all the time.
On Lighting
LED and CFL light systems should be used to save more power in the office. These can save up to 70% more energy than incandescent bulbs. Solar panels can also generate power, not just for your lighting system but also for other office electronics. Although expensive, they can help you cut costs significantly. If possible, you can even use natural lighting from the outside to light up your office by having skylights installed or simply letting more light shine through the windows.
On Employee Management
All the steps mentioned should not stop with just your implementation. These also have to be passed down and taught to your employees to better save on utility bills. You can organize conferences that talk about the importance of conserving energy. You can enforce workplace rules that uphold these power-saving actions. But the most effective way is to be a good role model that continuously encourages everyone to consume less to save more.
Reducing your energy consumption doesn’t only help you to lessen your utility bills and lets you do your part in saving our environment. Anything that benefits the planet will also put us in a better place, so doing all of these can only be good for your business. But conserving energy is only one way to save money from expenses. You still have to look at every aspect of your business and find ways to reduce the costs while maintaining good quality in your products and services. So do well with your financial management and focus on your actual operations to serve your clients as much as you can.
