At Work

Can Your 9-5 Make an Impact on Tomorrow?

You can achieve big savings and a difference for the greater good simply by changing how you and your co-workers use energy. Some of the fastest and easiest ways to save money typically cost little or nothing.

  • INSTALL PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTATS: Install programmable thermostats to control heating and cooling automatically. Most let you set different temperatures for days of the week, weekends and holidays.
  • INSTALL OCCUPANCY SENSORS: These allow you to save in hallways, bathrooms, meeting rooms and other places where lights can be shut off for blocks of time.
  • INSTALL PHOTOCELLS: Photocells in outdoor entry, and security lighting to automatically sense outdoor lighting levels which turn on and off automatically.
  • INSTALL LED LIGHTS: LED lighting lasts up to 15x longer, and uses much less energy.
  • LEASE EFFICIENTLY: If you lease equipment, insist on energy-efficient models to lower operating costs.
  • TURN IT OFF: Turn off lights, computers and other office equipment when they are not in use. Have a procedure to ensure these items are switched off overnight and on weekend
  • HEAT AND COOL EFFICIENTLY: Keep your heat and cooling at the lowest and highest comfortable setting when occupied and set it further when no one is there. There should be at least five degrees F between heating and cooling set points.
  • USE THE SUN: Let the sunshine warm your office during colder months by opening drapes or Close them at night to retain heat.
  • SHUT WINDOWS AND DOORS: Keep doors and windows closed to prevent overuse of heating and cooling systems. Or choose to keep doors and windows open to provide ventilation, instead of using air
  • DO THE MAINTENANCE: Maintenance of energy-consuming equipment is making sure you get top energy efficiency performance. Many maintenance items do not require specialized training and can be done yourself.
  • INVEST IN ENERGY EFFICIENT SYSTEMS: New equipment and appliances offer opportunities for improved energy efficiency. If there is an added cost for high efficiency equipment, be sure to factor in savings from lower energy operation costs over the life of the appliance.