Running a business can be expensive. Amid all of your other costs, you also have constantly rising energy bills. With summer coming, your energy use can only be expected to grow. How can you conserve energy in your business this summer and save money in the process? Here are a few tips.

Turn Off Equipment

Use power strips for all your major appliances, and every night, turn off all non essential devices that don’t need continual power to function (computers, copiers, etc.) by turning off the power strip. Be sure to turn off all lights as well.

Power Management

Can’t remember to turn everything off at the end of the day, or have employees working unconventional hours? Consider a power management system that keeps track of the rooms and appliances that are in use. Light switch sensors are a great addition to any business and many times utility companies provide rebates for installation of energy saving light devices.  If there’s no one in a particular area, lights shut off automatically. If a device goes idle or hasn’t been used after a certain amount of time, it’s shut down.

Upgrade Appliances

Many office appliances perform multiple duties. A single device that prints, photocopies, scans and faxes will conserve energy compared to four separate devices that handle each of these functions.

When shopping for any appliances, be sure to look for the blue Energy Star logo. This means the device has been certified by the federal Energy Star program to save money and energy over other, similar models without sacrificing performance or features.

Replace Lights

Not only do CFLs last much longer than traditional, incandescent bulbs, but they also provide the same amount of light using less energy. Use CFLs and fluorescent bulbs wherever you can. Also, if your exit signs use incandescent lights, consider replacing them with lower cost of operation LED signs.

Use a Programmable Thermostat

A programmable thermostat allows you to use multiple temperature settings — one for the daytime when everyone’s in the office and another energy-saving setting that’s a few degrees warmer at night when everyone goes home. Consider investing in the right thermostat for your business.  Some are 7 day programmable and others are 5 weekday and 2 weekend programmable. Ask an expert HVAC contractor to help you make the right decision on which type is best for your specific business operations.  And do not rule out the idea of a WiFi  thermostat that you can control from anywhere.  With a programmable thermostat, everyone remains comfortable and you don’t waste energy cooling an empty building.

For more tips to conserve energy in your business, contact us at Powers Heating & Air today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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