No, I’m not talking conserving your physical, or even mental energy, even though sitting in an office all day may sometimes warrant it; what I’m saying is conserving the energy that you use without a switch of an eye each day at work. From the lights being left on unnecessarily all day in the ladies loos, to filling the kettle full when, much to the disgust of your colleagues, you’re only making a cuppa for yourself.
Yes, there are lots of ways that, without thinking, we are using up more energy than is necessary and for every computer screen that we leave on when we’re out of the office for several hours, and every phone charger we leave plugged in and switched on … you are making even more of a dent on global warming. So, what are the simple steps that you and your colleagues can make to ensure that you are contributing to a better environment? There are lots of easy things to do such as instead of leaving your computer to switch on to a screensaver, which contrary to popular belief – does not save energy, you can set it to power down when you’re away from your desk for longer periods. Did you know that your computer screen can use up to about two-thirds of your PCs total electricity? This means that by turning it off when you are not there you could be making phenomenal savings! The way to think is that every piece of equipment left on is eating up electricity and if, when you consider this, you find that a lot of things are being left on unnecessarily, then you need to make sure you’re turning them off consistently. An example is the humble photocopier; we take it for granted, it’s always there and usually, it’s always on, but when you consider that after being left on overnight it has produced enough energy to make more than 5,000 copies … it does make you think!
Other ways to save money as well as energy is to think about lighting and this doesn’t take much common sense. As long as there are a few lights on in your head then you will be able to ensure that the lights are off in your life and in turn this could cut huge amounts off the bill. Also think about swapping to energy efficient bulbs … OK, so they can cost a little more to buy initially but as well as ‘each’ bulb fitted saving you up to £9.00 per year on your electricity bill, they also last up to 12 times longer. Not only this but just think about the amount of natural light we have during most of our working hours. Between 9am and 5pm we really should have a lot of natural light and OK, so we get used to working with the blinds shut and the lights on as a matter of course, but how much nicer would it be to open those blinds and enjoy a bit of scenery whilst making the most of our natural resources?
With utility bill costs soaring and the environment suffering, we need to take all the steps we can to contribute to the long-term picture so go on, put the kettle on, but only fill it full if you intend on making everyone in your office a drink … which of course, you do, don’t you?
