Reduce Your Energy Consumption

As global warming and climate change become real and growing issues, it is crucial that more effort is put into reducing energy consumption and Reduce-Waste produced in offices and homes across the globe. With some small adjustments to your office and home, you can be a positive influence on climate change and help to reduce the amount of energy consumed by your community.

Steps

Reducing Your Energy Consumption in the Office

  1. Turn off all lights in your office at the end of the night. To conserve electricity, make sure all the lights in your office are turned off, including bathrooms, kitchen areas, and meeting rooms. You should also try to switch off lights in a room if you plan to be out of there for longer than a few minutes at a time.[1]
    • During the day, you can maximize natural daylight by using natural light instead of overhead or fluorescent lights. Switching off one fluorescent light for one hour a day can save 30 kg of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
    • You may also want to look at areas where there is excessive lighting or lights that are turned on in rooms that are barely used. Have these lights removed or suggest the lights are not used if daylight is enough. As well, you can suggest to your supervisor that light bulbs be switched to energy saving bulbs, such as LED bulbs, if possible.
  2. Adjust the thermostat in your office based on the season. You can conserve your heating use by setting the thermostat in the office at different temperatures in the winter and in the summer. In the winter, keep the thermostat at 68 degrees or less during the day and at 55 degrees at night when no one is in the office. In the summer, keeping thermostat at 78 degrees or more will also help to reduce energy use in the office.[1]
    • In the winter, it can also be useful to keep shades and blinds open in the office during a sunny day. This will heat the room naturally. You should then close the blinds at night to reduce the amount of heat lost via the windows. In the summer, keep shades and blinds closed to avoid overheating the room and when the air conditioner is in use.
  3. Buy or lease computer monitors with energy saving features. Many newer computers will have built in energy saving features that can reduce the amount of electricity used by your office. If you’ve been using the same desktop for 10 years, consider upgrading to a new version that has energy saving features. Not only will this promote energy savings, it will also show up as savings on the office’s electricity bill.[2]
    • You can also encourage everyone in the office to make sure their computers have the power down option set as well as the hibernation option set. Keep in mind screen savers do not save energy. In fact, they are energy wasters, as your computer has to provide twice as much energy to light up your computer screen when using a screen saver.
    • Remind everyone in the office to turn off their computers, as well as copiers and other electronic equipment when they’re done for the day or when they are not using them. Shutting off your computer will not shorten itself lifespan and can save high amounts of energy.
  4. Ask your supervisor about switching to green power. GreenPower is a program offered by some energy providers to reduce your home or office’s carbon footprint in Australia, the United States, and Canada. GreenPower providers are part of a government accredited program to use clean, renewable electricity in homes and offices and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.[3]
    • Your supervisor can contact your office’s energy company and ask them if they can provide GreenPower to the office to reduce the office’s energy consumption on a daily basis.
  5. Carpool to the office, ride your bike, or take public transit. You can cut down on your energy use by adjusting your daily commute. Carpooling with co workers will keep one more car off the road and reduce the amount of energy you use via fuel. Biking to work everyday also means you are using kinetic energy, not electric or fuel based energy, to get around.[4]
    • Public transit is also a great way to limit your energy consumption. Many city buses run on eco friendly fuel.

Reducing Your Energy Consumption at Home

  1. Make a habit of turning off all lights and electronics in your home. Institute a “switch off when done” policy for all computers, televisions, lights, and other electronics in your home. This can help you save hundreds of dollars in energy bills and reduce your household’s energy consumption.[1]
    • You should also unplug any seldomly used electronics or appliances, like a mini fridge in the basement or an old coffee grinder in your kitchen. As well, every time someone is done in a room, they should turn off the light. Make this a habit so it comes as second nature to your family.
    • Consider switching to LED bulbs for all lights. LED light bulbs are affordable and easy to find at your local hardware store. These light bulbs use up to 85 percent less energy than regular light bulbs and come in a variety of shapes and light levels.
    • If you have lots of electronics or appliances that require an electrical outlet, use a power strip. A power strip can help you control how many items are plugged in at once and you can switch off several items at a time easily on the power strip.
  2. Set your computer to sleep and avoid using screen savers. If there are any computers at home, it is important that your computer is set to go to sleep after several minutes if it is not being used, and that you have the hibernate setting on your computer.[1]
    • Avoid using screen savers, as they are actually a big energy waster and can require more energy from your computer than sleep mode or hibernation mode.
  3. Use your household appliances efficiently. Look for the Energy Star label on appliances like desktops, laptops, printers, and scanners, which indicates that these appliances are energy efficient. As well, you should adjust your refrigerator, your oven, your dishwasher, your dryer, and your washing machine so they are energy saving and efficient.[1]
    • Adjust your refrigerator temperature to 38-42 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer temperature to 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit. If your fridge has a power-save switch, make sure it is on, and always check that the door seals closed once you are done in the fridge.
    • Check that the seal on the oven door is intact and avoid peeking in the oven more than necessary, as this lets out heat and increases the cooking time. Use your microwave, rather than your oven, for reheating small items.
    • Avoid pre-washing your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher and only wash full loads in the dishwater to save water.
    • When you wash your clothes in a washing machine, wash in cold water as much as possible and always rinse the clothes in cold. Using cold water, instead of hot, can save you up to 50 cents a load. Today’s modern washers and detergents can clean clothes well in cold water and you should only use hot water for very dirty loads. You should also use the highest spin cycle when washing your clothes as the high spin speeds remove more moisture and reduce the time needed to dry clothing. If possible, invest in a front loading washer as they save more water and energy than top loading washers.
    • Reduce your energy consumption by always cleaning the lint out of the filter of the dryer and dry heavy and light fabrics separately. A clothesline, where your clothes can air dry, is actually the most energy-efficient way to dry your clothing.
  4. Ensure your home is draught proof. Having gaps or cracks in your walls or your windows can lead to drafts, which can let out cool air and lead to wasted energy use. Seal any gaps or cracks in your home so you can reduce your heating and cooling bill.[1][2]
    • Make sure your windows are draught proof and energy efficient, especially if you live in a colder climate.
  5. Adjust your thermostat based on the temperature outside. Conserve your heating use by setting the thermostat in your home at different temperatures in the winter and in the summer. In the winter, keep the thermostat at 68 degrees or less during the day and at 55 degrees at night when no one is in the office. In the summer, keeping thermostat at 78 degrees or more will also help to reduce the energy use in the office.[1]
    • In the winter, it can also be useful to keep shades and blinds open in the office during a sunny day. Doing this will help to heat the room naturally. You should then close the blinds at night to reduce the amount of heat lost via the windows. In the summer, keep shades and blinds closed to avoid overheating the room and when the air conditioner is in use.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/genergy.asp
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://fsd.monash.edu.au/environmental-sustainability/reduce-your-energy-consumption-work
  3. ↑ http://www.wwf.org.au/get_involved/change_the_way_you_live/reducing_energy/
  4. ↑ http://www.recycleaway.com/recycle-containers-and-recycling-bins-for-office.html

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