Member Article

Five top tips for improving office energy efficiency

This Sunday June 5 is World Environment Day – the UN’s biggest day for positive environmental action.

Each year, World Environment Day challenges people across the globe to do something to take care of the earth. To provide inspiration, Peterlee packaging specialist Encore Packaging Solutions’ group quality and environmental officer Laura Croisdale has shared her top five tips for improving energy efficiency in the office.

Laura said: “We all have a duty of care when it comes to the environment, but it can be all too easy to put off making a change. I hope my tips show how easy it is for a small change to make a big impact which, while benefitting the environment, can also cut overheads in the office.”

1. Motion sensors

One of a company’s biggest costs is lighting. By installing motion sensors you can drastically cut your electricity bill without the massive investment of upgrading the whole lighting scheme. Having the lighting sensors also reduces the “human error” risk of employees forgetting to switch off a light, or switching off a light whilst someone is still working in the room!

2. Set and lock heating controls

Set and lock your heating controls to an ambient temperature (e.g. 21°C). Regulating the temperature automatically will save a significant amount on heating costs and employees will no longer partake in heating wars - switching the heating on and off, or switch the heating on whilst the air conditioning is running. Simply review at the start of each season.

3. Make it a competition

Turn a green initiative into a mini competition, it’s amazing how competitive people can become! Our office had an issue with everyone leaving computers and monitors on overnight. So we introduced an office competition, grouping the different desks into teams and monitoring who had and hadn’t switched off their equipment. By ranking the teams on a monthly basis, the office began to police themselves and now it is second nature to switch everything off before leaving for the night. I won’t name who the worst offenders were!

4. Toilet Hippos

If a company has older toilets, invest in toilet hippos. Toilet Hippos are placed in the cisterns and reduce the amount of water used per flush. It’s a cheap, quick and easy way to save money on your water bill without re-fitting the company bathrooms.

5. Encourage suggestions

Set up an open forum for employees to make suggestions and provide feedback. It’s great to see what people think of what’s in place and what else could be done to help the environment.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Encore Packaging Solutions .