Corporate Responsibility: Preserving Natural Resources

Businesses are amongst the largest spenders of electricity, water, gas, etc. Because of their need for using computers and other office necessities and gadgets, the electricity bills are getting higher as the business is expanding. One more thing that is increasing is the carbon footprint as a direct consequence of the energy consumption. The responsibility of today’s entrepreneurs lies not only in making money, but in setting a good example with responsible and thoughtful energy usage. Let us see some of the solutions that businesses can apply, in order to save money and energy, and, eventually, set the stage for a greener future.

Laptops or Desktops?

The simple truth is that laptops are less power-hungry than desktop PCs. They are consuming up to 80 percent less energy than their counterparts – desktops, which are permanently plugged-in to a massive power supply. Being that laptops’ performance has been updated so much that it can compete with some desktop PCs, we see no reason not to switch your entire computer supply to laptops. Just make sure that the chargers have power strip with a switch, so they would not consume energy while not charging.

Sleep Mode

Often it happens that we forget to turn off the equipment we are not using, and in that way contribute to increased energy consumption. Fortunately, most of modern equipment has sleep mode or power save that is automatically turned on after a certain period of not actively working. The sleep mode is turning off all the circuits vital for operation. Depending on the manufacturer, fax machines, copiers and computers can set to go in energy-saving mode after a pre-set number of minutes without use.

Power Strips

Turning off all the office equipment after the work hours, and especially on the beginning of the weekend is essential. Still, it is not enough. Even when the equipment is merely plugged in and not turned on, it spends a small amount of electricity. To avoid piling up of these small costs until they become one significant one, attach clusters of all devices to power strips with a switch, so you can disconnect all of the equipment at once.

Water Use Management

Water is a limited resource, and offices spend in average as much water as several shower stands and tens of taps, per one working day. There are two ways to reduce water consumption and consequently the bills: reducing the amount of water that is being spent during one washing or flushing and lowering the water flow. Installing aerators that can lower the flow without influencing the performance is the simplest way to solve this issue, tells us a trusted Sydney-based plumber.

New Generation Equipment

You are probably thinking that you are saving money by still using outdated equipment. The truth is that older generation devices are not designed with energy-efficiency on mind. Not only that it will cost you more money in energy bills (older generation refrigerators can cost up to 3000 dollars of electricity per year, while newer ones cost about 75 dollars for the same period), but, eventually, they will require some money for repairs.

Energy Star Products

When purchasing a new product, make sure you check energy rating labels, which are providing a seal of approval for potential buyers. Energy Star is an endorsement label regulated by the US, and it is used to mark products that spend at least 20% less energy than regular ones. The more stars there are on the device’s label, the more energy efficient it is.

Making all of these changes will surely contribute to reducing business’s bills. Besides, it will present the business as an environmentally aware and responsible, which will contribute to a positive public image.