How to Save on Heating Costs in Your Office!
Small businesses in the U.S. spend nearly $60 billion just to heat up their offices each year, according to the EPA’s Energy Star program statistics. In addition to that, according to the NFIB, heating is among the top three expenses for more than a third of small businesses nationwide.
Therefore, cutting down on your office energy consumption is not only good for the environment but your budget as well. You can save a lot of money in a few simple steps, including having your system upgraded and maintained by an expert company like Action AC, educating the employees and modifying their habits. This way you could save as much as 30% on your heating bill without having to sacrifice the comfort of your employees.
In this article, we’ll share some ways you can minimize the heating bill in your office. Some of these tips involve simple steps you can take to minimize the energy waste, while others are activities your employees should practice on a daily basis.
Set the Thermostat to the Right Temperature
It’s incredible how much money you can save on heating your office just by lowering the thermostat a bit. For every degree you lower the thermostat you can save as much as 3% on the heating bill! The ideal temperature during the winter is between 68 to 70 degrees. Additionally, if there are some areas in your office that involve heavy labor, such as packaging, you can further decrease the temperature in those areas as your employees will already be warm from the work.
Perform Regular Heating Maintenance
Regular heating system maintenance is more important than most business owners realize. Not only will a clean system provide clean, dust and allergen free air to your office, it will perform much more efficiently and therefore spend less money. That is why you should make sure to have the heating system checked by a licensed expert like at least once every year, or twice ideally: once before the heating season begins, and once after the season is over. Here’s how a professional company can help you with the heating system maintenance.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
Another efficient way to save energy is to make sure you only use the heating system when you need it. That means shutting down the heating system when nobody’s in the office. A great way to achieve this is to have experts like Woolley Home Solutions install a programmable thermostat for you. This way, you can set the heating system to turn on half an hour before everyone arrives at the office, ensuring a pleasant temperature from the start of the workday. This will allow you to conserve much of the power wasted heating the office when nobody’s around without having to worry your employees will be shivering in the morning.
Don’t Heat Areas You Don’t Use
Take a walk around the office and turn off the heating in the areas where it’s not currently used like conference halls or storage rooms. Make sure your staff does the same as well and turn the heating off in the conference room after they’re finished with their morning briefing. If they can’t get used to the rule, make sure to place a notification in every room next to the radiator.
Insulate the Office
The vast majority of wasted energy comes from poor insulation. You won’t believe how much heat you can lose through cracks in your windows and doors. Fortunately, insulating the office is cheap and easy. You could save as much as 90% of wasted energy if you prevent the warm air from escaping the office.
Close the Doors and Windows
While we’re on the subject of the heat escaping, a significant percentage of energy is lost to open windows and doors. Closing the door in the office could save you a lot in your company’s monthly balance. Ask the staff to make sure they close any windows and doors after using them, especially those between un-heated and heated areas.