Commercial offices tend to have more equipment than a typical house, and the energy requirements to keep them operating are usually quite high. Identify the biggest energy users in your office and employ tips to make them more energy efficient so you can save money on utilities every month.

Lighting

• Turn off the lights: In many businesses, some lights remain on 24/7. This is why lighting accounts for more than 35% of most commercial buildings’ electricity bills. While a few select security lights should remain on at night, be sure to turn off all other lights at the end of the day.
• Upgrade your bulbs: To help the lights inside your building consume less energy, upgrade to light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Halogen lights are an efficient option for outdoor security lighting.
• Use timers: Set bathroom and conference room lights on timers so they only turn on when someone enters the room.

Computers

• Opt for laptops: The next time you upgrade the computers in your office, switch to laptops. Your employees are bound to love the opportunity to take their work computers home with them for occasional telecommuting, and laptops are much more energy efficient than bulky desktop computers.
• Use power-saver mode: Contrary to popular belief, screen savers actually waste energy by keeping the computer active. Ask employees to disable screen savers and set their computers to power-saver mode instead. This conserves energy while in use and automatically puts the computer to sleep when left idle for a specified amount of time.
• Power down: Ask employees to completely power down their work stations at the end of the day. 

Copiers and Printers

• Establish a central copy room: Commercial copiers and printers consume more energy than you might imagine. Many are left on all day but see little use. To combat wasted energy, establish a central copy room with just enough equipment to meet the office’s copying and printing needs. By networking the central printer, everyone can conveniently print documents when they need to without each office having its own printer.
• Use timers: Plug copiers and printers into a timer so they automatically shut off at night and on the weekends when no one’s using them.

Lunch Room Appliances

• Choose smaller, more efficient versions: It may surprise you to hear, but water coolers and coffeemakers are among an office’s biggest energy hogs. If you own a small business, a smaller, household-model coffeemaker should be sufficient. 
• Use timers: To save energy, plug these appliances into timers so they turn off when not needed.
• Get rid of them: If hardly any of your employees utilize the water cooler or coffeemaker, remove these devices to eliminate their operating costs.

For more ideas to make your office more energy efficient, schedule a commercial energy audit with Titan Electrical . We can assess your efficiency, suggest ways to reduce your electricity consumption and help you reach your energy efficiency and saving goals. Contact us today to learn more!