10 Quick Ways to Save Energy in Your Business

Owning and running a business means paying careful attention to your expenditures so your enterprise can remain profitable. And many business owners assume that they have little or no control over their energy costs. While you may not be able to eliminate your electric bill entirely, you are able to reduce your total electricity costs with these 10 simple tricks:

1. Use natural lighting whenever possible. Keep offices and desks near windows to maximize natural lighting and minimize artificial light whenever you can.
2. Turn off all computer equipment at the end of every day. Even when not in use, electronic equipment can still draw energy.
3. Keep your external lights on a timer. You don’t necessarily need to keep them running all night, so control them with an automated function.
4. Install programmable thermostats. This will help regulate the temperature at all times and limit any back-and-forth temperature adjustments that might otherwise occur.
5. Make sure all your lights are either CFLs or LEDs. Get rid of any overhead lighting that isn’t energy efficient.
6. Unplug any equipment you can at the end of the workday. This includes printers, cell phone chargers, fans, and other appliances.
7. Invest in an energy audit. It might cost a bit up front, but an energy audit can identify  areas where you can make significant improvement in your energy consumption.
8. Install low-flow water appliances. These include toilets, urinals, faucets, and shower heads.
9. Turn everything off at night. Your office after hours should be unlit, unheated, and virtually untouched.
10. Use blinds and shades to reduce heating and cooling needs. In winter, keep the shades open during the day, and in summer, keep them closed to keep the sun from heating the inside of the workplace.

Maintaining an energy efficient office can help you manage your monthly costs better and improve your bottom line.