- Category:
Small Business Energy Savings - Published:
November 29, 2022
8 Ways Your Small Business Is Wasting Electricity
Wasting electricity at work is an all too common problem; but one that is easy to fix. Wasting energy by a business, especially during the holiday season, affects your bottom line and the community. Here are some insights into how small businesses waste energy and ways your company can eliminate waste without spending too much money or effort.
8 ways you’re wasting electricity at work without noticing
1. Leaving appliances and devices on when not in use
One of the biggest culprits when it comes to small businesses wasting energy is leaving things on when not in use. If it is plugged in, it’s probably using electricity. Whether it’s leaving a PC, register, screen, scanner, or printer on while at lunch, in a meeting or home for the night, leaving electronics turned on wastes energy.
Pay attention to equipment, signs, kitchen appliances and more. Put them on sleep mode when idle and turn them off entirely when your business is closed. Some devices draw energy even in the off position, so take the extra step and unplug them altogether.
2. Using incandescent bulbs for office lighting
For many businesses, lighting is the second most energy-hungry aspect of their operations. It can be hard to remember to turn lights off in the conference room when it isn’t being used. Installing motion sensors in bathrooms to automatically turn out the lights when no one is in them is an extra expense.
One of the easiest fixes is to get rid of incandescent light bulbs. You can weigh the benefits of LED vs CFL bulbs in your office, but both options use dramatically less electricity. They also last much longer.
3. Not clearing out your small business air vents or air filters
Dirty air filters and vents prevent air from moving efficiently through your HVAC systems. They will have to work harder and longer to deliver heat throughout your facility, wasting energy at work in the process. Dirty vents and filters also create a health hazard and aggravate allergies.
4. Not weatherproofing the office in the winter season
Another way to stop wasting electricity at work is to weatherproof your building. If your facilities are not well insulated and cracks and gaps are not sealed, you will pay higher heating and cooling bills. Weatherproofing your building is an important part of reducing your small business energy consumption.
5. Using work equipment that’s not energy efficient
Old and inefficient equipment could be wasting energy at work. The ENERGY STAR rating is not just for home appliances that save energy. It also applies to new equipment of all kinds that can help you stop wasting electricity in a business. The ENERGY STAR website has an expansive list of energy efficient products for businesses. You may find that upgrading will more than pay for itself in energy savings.
6. Not having sustainability as part of the company culture
Your company can benefit from adopting a small-business sustainability plan. Looking for and finding ways to achieve small business sustainability goals will help you economically and environmentally. Having a plan can give you a competitive advantage when it comes to what customers value while it can also significantly reduce your costs for energy.
7. Employees not engaged in energy savings
Engaging your employees to help stop wasting energy at work is vital to having an impact. One or two people can’t do it alone. Talk to your teams about closing doors, turning out the lights, turning off and unplugging unused equipment. Employees may also have great energy saving ideas in their specific areas. One person’s idea can spark ideas from others. Using signs and creating communication campaigns around saving energy can get people involved in contributing to stopping energy waste.
8. Using excessive amounts of electricity during the holidays
The holiday rush can overtake normal energy-saving habits as employees focus on serving customers and completing year-end tasks. Cold weather puts more pressure on HVAC equipment. Thinking about ways to reduce waste in your business can fall to the end of your to-do list–or fall off it altogether. These energy saving tips for business efficiency will put you on the right track during the holidays for year round efficiency.
Minimize your small business electricity waste this holiday season
Explore state energy grants and loans
It is easy to suggest you upgrade your equipment or improve the energy efficiency of your facilities, but affording these investments can be a challenge. Some states offer low cost loans or outright grants to investing in new power systems, facilities infrastructure, purchasing clean energy, and improving the energy efficiency of your daily operations. A little research may turn up attractive sources of cash you can put to use to stop wasting electricity at work.
Consider a professional energy audit
While you might identify the obvious places where you are wasting energy at work, you might not catch all of them. A professional energy audit will find all the places where you can save energy and will usually also suggest small business energy efficiency tools that will help you track energy usage and calculate savings. This information is invaluable when it comes to making decisions about where to invest to cut your small business energy consumption the most. A professional can also suggest energy savings tips for your business, that don’t cost much money.
The right time to explore ways to save energy and save money is always now. You can learn more about ways to lower small business energy bills and explore energy solutions for small businesses from Constellation. Consider us your go-to partner when it comes to finding ways to cut your power costs.
