We’ve teamed up with our Energy and Sustainability Team and ICT to bring you our round-up of useful energy-efficiency tips in the office and when working at home.
Quick tips to save energy in the office and at home
There are many things you can do on a day-to-day basis to improve energy efficiency. Following the simple tips below will help you save energy and help to protect the environment:
1. Turn off appliances: At the end of the day, turn off monitors or computers at the plug instead of using standby, it saves energy and prolongs battery life.
2. Switch from desktop computers to a laptop: This uses less energy, also switch on power saving settings.
3. Turn off the lights: Turn off all lights when a room is not in use or if the building does not have automatic sensors.
4. Be cautious with the kettle: Only fill it to the level you need as this could save around £6 a year on energy bills.
5. Communal equipment: Ensure shared equipment is switched off when leaving the office, e.g., microwave or kettle should be unplugged.
6. Only print when necessary: Reduce your amount of printing, only use if necessary. Also, communal printers should be set to automatically power off at the end of the air-conditioning.
7. Allow enough space: Ensure that radiators are free from obstructions. By moving files/boxes or extra items away from radiators, this will allow the heat to circulate around the room.
8. Take advantage of the Council’s Warp It re-use portal where possible. We use Warp It to redistribute and reuse surplus items of furniture and equipment. Warp It makes it very easy for staff to give, get, or loan surplus items to/from other staff. Read more in the Warp It news article.
Remember, if you’re not using it, switch it off
Everyone thinking more about energy and positive changes to make homes more efficient in this current challenging climate, let’s bring that positive efficiency saving thinking to the workplace. When you leave the office at night turn your devices off completely don’t leave your monitor on standby switch it off. If you are the last person in the office for the day, take a few minutes, check your colleagues have switched their devices off, flick the off button on the lights on your way out. Do something positive today to help our net zero strategy – thank you.
If you need energy support at home, see the helpful links below:
- Take control of heating your home by seeking help from the Energy Saving Trust.
- The Home Energy Scotland website has lots of useful information, helping people in Scotland create warmer homes, reduce their energy bills, and lower their carbon footprint.
- Energy Action Scotland (EAS) campaigns for an end to fuel poverty in Scotland and is the only national body with this sole remit. Set up as a charity in 1983, EAS seeks to develop and promote effective solutions to the problem of cold, damp and expensive to heat homes.
- The DirectGov website (the UK Government’s Digital Service for England and Wales) has lots of info on recycling and reducing waste, energy saving, greener homes and gardens, greener travel and leisure, greener community and work and greener travel and leisure.
- Get all the recycling tips you need on the Reduce Reuse Recycle website
- There is still a great deal of waste which could be recycled that ends up in landfill sites which is harmful to the environment. Find out more on the Recycling Guide – Guides Network website.
- Zero Waste Scotland also helps individuals and communities to reduce waste, recycle more and use resources sustainably.