Top tips for saving energy and money in your workplace

Businesses today need to work smarter to stay ahead, and that goes for the way they use energy too. If you lack an energy saving culture, or are just plain wasteful, your bills will be much bigger than they need to be.

Saving energy:

• reduces your overheads, saving you money

• makes you more competitive

• cuts your carbon emissions which is better for the planet

The good news is a few small energy saving steps can mean big savings. The Carbon Trust reckon most businesses can save up to 20% by making a few simple changes: 

• Check the settings on your heating and airconditioning controls. Offices should be 21-23 degrees and stairs and corridors at 17-19 degree
• Make sure your heating and air conditioning aren't competing with each other wasting precious energy. Check the settings to make sure they both can't be on at the same time. Your servicing engineer can help with this

• What's going on in your building after hours? Is heating and lighting left on? What happens if someone stays late and over-rides the time-clocks? Get to know your heating and lighting controls and make sure they're only on when they need to be

• Leaks in your compressed air system mean your compressor motors have to work harder, costing you money. Check your system regularly and fix any leaks to keep your system in tip-top condition. Invest in a Variable Speed Drive to reduce the power used by motor during less busy periods, helping you to make big changes

• Lighting is usually the biggest portion of an electricity bill. Encourage a culture of switching off lights when they're not needed. Choose low energy lamps and use sensors to automatically dim or switch off lights when no-one's around and it's safe to do so

• Stop bills from rocketing by switching off equipment like photocopiers, PCs and printers overnight. Encourage staff to 'switch off and save' and use plug-in time switches where suitable

• Your refrigeration works hard to chill fridges, freezers and chiller cabinets. If you allow this valuable cold air to escape easily, it costs your more money to replace it. Don't leave fridge doors lying open, use night blinds on upright cabinets, fix worn and damaged door seals and service your equipment regularly to keep it efficient

• Read your meter at opening and closing time for one week to give you a feel for how much electricity you are using. You can then create an energy saving plan with your staff by agreeing actions, setting targets, monitoring progress and celebrating success.

For further advice on how your business can be more sustainable, view our guide. Not a Power NI customer? Get a quote for your business electricity to discover how you can save.