Often times, businesses end up wasting large amounts of energy without even realizing it. It is easy to use energy in excess, especially if the business is a large one, but there are also several ways to correct these mistakes and save electricity. Realizing the issues is the first step to fixing the problem. Here are some common ways businesses waste energy and how to solve the problems.

Heating and Cooling

One major way to make sure your business is not wasting energy is to make sure you are carefully regulating your heating and cooling. Office buildings are often heated or cooled way more than they need to be, resulting in a large waste of electricity. Here are some major ways companies waste electricity with their heating and cooling and the simple solutions to these issues.

  • Cooling the building too much to where employees need to run heaters or dress with layers to stay warm- turn down the AC a few degrees in the building, so it is not too cold.
  • Keeping doors and windows open to compensate for the overly cold building- keep the windows and doors closed and simply turn down the AC.
  • Not adjusting the heating or cooling when everyone leaves- be sure to adjust the temperature manually or install a system that will do it automatically to save energy when there is no one in the building.
  • Not changing the air filters each month- forgetting to change the filter each month can waste energy, so be sure to do that monthly.
  • Blocking the airflow- be sure that you are not blocking any of the air flow in the office with furniture or paper.
  • Not repairing leaks and damaged insulation- make sure your insulation is effective in order to save electricity.

Office Equipment

While there are some great office tools and technology that make our lives easier, if you do not use them right, they can easily become huge energy drainers. These are some of the ways they can waste energy and how to fix these problems.

  • Keeping equipment on when it is not in use- always turn off computers, printers, and other equipment during nights, weekends, or whenever no one is in the office.
  • Leaving computers on- have everyone in the office set their computers to sleep automatically if they have not been in use for a period of time.
  • Not using power strips- power strips are a great way to save energy and it helps you to turn off several devices at once.

Lighting

Monitoring the lighting in your office building is also a great way to make sure you are not using too much energy. Here are some ways people often misuse their lights and some ways to make sure you light your office effectively and save electricity.

  • Lighting areas when it is not necessary- you should rely more on natural lighting as much as possible rather than manually lighting areas that are already well-lit naturally.
  • Leaving lights on- make sure you always turn off the lights when you are not using them, or you could install motion detectors to automatically shut off the lights so you do not forget.
  • Keeping outdated light fixtures- switch to LED lights instead of old fixtures to save electricity.

Get the Right Energy Plan

Make sure you are not overpaying for electricity. Take some time to search for the right energy plan for you to make sure you are getting the best deal with the best option for your specific needs. There are several plan options for you with low electricity rates. Finding the right plan will help you make sure you are not paying too much for electricity. You can also find a green energy plan to power your business, so you can use electricity guilt-free, knowing you are helping the environment.