With no price cap in place for commercial energy, it’s no wonder that over 80% of UK business owners cite utility bills as a major concern for their company’s future. But with a recent estimate stating that energy waste costs UK businesses millions in unnecessary operational costs every year, there is plenty of room for improvement.

In this article we look at how making a few key changes in your workspace can minimise wastage and lower utility bills up to 25%. If you’ve not yet identified the biggest power-wasting culprits in your office, take a look at our guide on conducting an energy efficiency audit here.

Common areas for improving energy efficiency in an office

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems

• Use thermostats wisely: Invest in smart thermostats to automate temperature based on office occupancy. If you can’t invest, program the thermostat to minimise waste - for example, adjusting temperature control to reflect a sparse workforce on a Friday.
• Use ‘zone control’: Save energy by dividing your office into individually controlled areas - for example, installing a separate thermostat in meeting rooms to save wastage when they’re not in use.
• Check insulation: Ensure you have sufficient insulation in walls, ceilings, and around windows to minimize heat loss or gain and reduce the load on your HVAC systems.
• Set temperature ‘dead bands’: Setting a temperature range where neither heating or cooling systems are programmed to turn on (e.g. 19-21°), avoids systems rapidly switching on and off, reducing both energy use and HVAC wear and tear - win-win!
• Reduce the thermostat: Did you know that reducing your thermostat temperature by just 1 degree can reduce your heating bill by up to 8%? 

Lighting systems:

• Use LED lighting: If you’re not already using LED lighting, here’s your sign - LED bulbs consume significantly less energy than incandescent or halogen bulbs, and can save you as much as 80% on your lighting bills. 
• Make the most of natural light: It might sound like an obvious one, but it’s often overlooked to utilise the natural light of an office. By planning your workspace layout carefully and adjusting window treatments it’s possible to minimize your reliance on artificial lighting and save energy waste.
• Install motion sensors: Motion or occupancy sensors can automatically turn off lights in unoccupied areas, saving you hassle and unnecessary lighting costs.

Equipment and appliances:

• Energy efficient models: When replacing appliances, opt for energy-efficient models, especially refrigerators, washing machines, and dishwashers. 
• Change settings: Implement power management settings on computers and other electronic devices to automatically switch to standby when not in use. 
• Single switch extensions: Switching to extension cables with individual outlet switches is an easy way for your employees to use only the power they need, avoiding the dreaded phantom energy drain.
• Smart plugs: It’s easy for your staff to fall into bad habits and leave appliances on overnight, however switching computers off outside core hours can reduce their energy usage by up to 75%. Consider using smart plugs to automate turning devices off when they’re not needed. 
• Opt for laptops: Laptops use up to 85% less electricity over a year than a desktop - when it’s time to replace computers, consider if a laptop could do the job instead.

Building wide initiatives:

• Implement a BMS: Implementing a building management system (BMS) is a financial commitment, but allows you to integrate multiple systems like HVAC, lighting, and security into one centralized platform, allowing optimized control and automation of energy consumption.
• Explore automated systems: If your office is sizeable and houses a large workforce, you may wish to invest in automated systems across the workplace. A key example is using an automated door to help reduce heat loss.

Servers:

• Decommission unused servers: A substantial number of servers in data centers are not actively used, but still consume a considerable amount of power. Only use active servers to reduce your energy waste.
• Virtualization servers: Implementing server virtualization allows multiple applications to run on a single physical server, reducing the total number of servers needed. This not only leads to lower energy consumption, but also means less space is required for your physical servers, in turn reducing the need for cooling and maintenance.

Implementing some of the improvements mentioned above should have a tangible effect on reducing energy waste and lowering your utility bills, however many of these are not a one-and-done fix. For a truly efficient office you’ll need to factor in regular maintenance, usage monitoring, and staff training to ensure your efficiency doesn’t drop over time.

Wondering what your next step is? Read our four-step guide to an energy efficient office here.