Easy Ways For Businesses To Reduce Their Power Usage

Another way you can cut costs is by purchasing energy-efficient equipment for your business. Other modifications such as investing in a new furnace, installing a solar power system, or upgrading your windows can seem costly. Additionally, if you can compare energy prices and providers you can save too. However, they can wind up saving you a lot of money in the long run. Here are some other simple ideas that you can use to significantly reduce your company's energy usage:

1. Turn off your computers when they are not in use.
Setting the computers at your company to automatically hibernate or shut down after a period of inactivity can help dramatically cut down on wasted energy. When you really crunch the numbers, a single PC can wind up costing you close to $50.00 a year to operate. It is easy to see that you could save a significant amount of money simply by shutting down your computers when they are not in use.

2. Use power strips to reduce energy usage.
Some types of equipment use power even when they are not turned on. By plugging them into a power strip, you can turn the power strip off to completely eliminate any power drain from the equipment.

3. Re-evaluate your water cooler.
If you have an older model, it may not be as energy-efficient as possible. Some of the older units require more power to run than a full-sized refrigerator. Upgrading to a more energy-efficient unit could wind up saving you a lot of money on your utility bills.

4. Upgrade the lighting throughout your workspace.
Swap out old incandescent bulbs for energy-efficient options such as compact fluorescent lights or LED lights. Not only do these types of lighting use less power but they also last a lot longer.

5. Use recycled supplies whenever possible.
You can minimize your company's impact on the environment by choosing products that have been made from recycled materials.

6. Make sure that you are recycling as much as possible. Everything from printer paper to cartridges from your printer can be recycled.

7. Take advantage of natural light.
If at all possible, try to keep the lights in your office turned off, opting instead to use the light that is coming in through skylights or through the windows.

8. Re-evaluate the controls on your lighting.
Simple devices such as dimmer switches and motion sensors can help reduce energy usage automatically.

9. Install hand dryers in your bathrooms.
Not only does this eliminate paper waste but it can actually wind up saving energy. The process of producing paper is extremely energy intensive. By getting rid of paper towels and opting for a hand dryer instead, you can eliminate this unnecessary power usage.