3 Common Myths About Being Energy Efficient in an Office
Making a business energy efficient has never been easier. With the different types of tools, technology and energy types, you would think that more companies would be greener in the UK.
However, there are still many businesses across the country who believe the myths about being energy efficient and therefore don’t make any changes to their business to lower their carbon footprint.
We decided to find three of the most common myths about being energy efficient in an office and explain why they are JUST MYTHS.
‘Cables that aren’t in use but are still plugged in and switched on, do not use energy’ –MYTH!
This may be true for SOME cables, but the majority of them whether they be for laptops, phones, TVs, etc, do still use energy whilst being plugged in. This power is known as ‘standby power’ or ‘vampire power’ and is responsible for huge amounts of wasted energy and expensive bills in both homes and businesses!
So whilst you may think that no power is being let out, your ‘not in use’ cables are still, in fact, rinsing unnecessary energy.
We know some objects require a constant connection (router, clocks, alarms) but for any other gadgets, the solution is simple – when a device is not in use, simply turn off the plug, including those phone chargers that are not connected.
‘Keeping the heating on all the time at a low temperature will be cheaper’ – MYTH!
Would you keep an oven on constantly at a low heat even though you aren’t cooking anything? Course not, so why would you keep the heating on in a room that isn’t being used?
There are many people who believe this myth and they are wasting so much energy by doing so!
Your heating should be turned on only as and when required. If you do require a room to be heated up before it is occupied, set a timer for the heating to turn on 15 minutes before people arrive. You can also save energy by turning off the heating half an hour before leaving a building too.
Another way of saving money on heating costs is by using smart appliances in the workplace.
‘Computer screensavers save energy’ – MYTH!
Screensavers do not save energy, they are primarily there for ‘entertainment’ whilst you are not at your screen.
Not only does leaving a computer on waste energy and cost money, but it can also reduce its lifespan.
When a screen isn’t in use, turn off the monitor or shut down the computer completely if it’s not going to be used for a long period of time.
So now that you know these points are in fact myths, why not make some changes to your office and add an energy efficiency plan to see what difference it could make to your energy bills.
If you require help on your business’ carbon responsibility, visit our Carbon management and Energy Audits & Compliance page. Alternatively, you can speak to a member of our team on 0845 1800 700.
