Learning and implementing ways to save energy in the workplace can save you lots of money in the long run. This however means working in collaboration with the employees to promote energy conservation. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to lower your energy consumption.

1. Encourage energy efficiency practices: Most electricity companies will have off-peak and high peak times during the day. While this depends on your utility provider, it would be advisable to use excess energy during off-peak hours. Encouraging your employees to do the same could help bring down the energy bills.

2. Request for an energy audit: Get to learn how much energy your company or office uses by hiring an energy audit company suggest US energy company Josco Energy NJ. Most energy utility companies offer this service for free, meaning you can take advantage of their program to know where and how energy is used in the office. The audit should help you determine areas that you can trim down to lower energy consumption.

3. Replace incandescent bulbs with LED and CFL lights: LED and CFL bulbs use a lot less energy and have a longer lifespan as compared to incandescent bulbs. Be sure to go for Energy Star Rated bulbs for improved energy efficiency. Consider retrofitting to enjoy even more savings on the same. This involves replacing the luminaire alone instead of the entire light fixture.

4. Enable hibernation on laptops and computers: The sleep and hibernate feature on your desktop and laptop is there for a reason. It allows the computer to save its current state and work at the moment, thus reducing energy consumption. The feature will enable you to continue from where you left before hibernation.

5. Only print when necessary: There are more efficient ways of sharing files and memos as compared to printing them. Printing only when needed is one of the best ways to reduce paper wastage, and even gives your printer a longer lifespan.

6. Turn off idle equipment: Leaving scanners, printers, lights, microwaves, the coffee vending machine, and air conditioners on even when not needed only contributes to energy wastage. Turning these off whenever they aren’t in use, and especially overnight or during the weekend provides an excellent way to reduce energy wastage.

7. Invest in energy efficient appliances: Although energy efficient appliances may cost more upfront, they run on very little electricity thus contributing to increased energy savings. Spending just a few more bucks on these devices should help you see huge savings over the years.

8. Invest in a good programmable/smart thermostat: A smart/programmable thermostat helps adjust temperature levels in the workplace outside office hours. Some of these thermostats turn off the air conditioner and heaters automatically when no one is the office. The other good thing with investing in these is that they help give your HVAC systems a longer lifespan while lowering energy consumption.

9. Ensure there’s proper/adequate insulation. Even the slightest amount of air leak can put lots of strain to the HVAC system. Ensuring there’s no leak in the office by investing in adequate insulation would, therefore, be a wise idea.

10. Keep HVAC systems in check: Keeping HVAC systems in check, and ensuring the temperatures are set right can help lower energy consumption significantly. Experts recommend setting temperatures one degree up in summer and one degree down in winter.

11. Make use of natural light: Natural light is free and can help light up the office the entire day. Only use artificial lights in dark areas during the day to lower energy consumption.

12. Take advantage of energy-saving features: Newer systems and appliances come with built-in energy-saving features that you can take advantage of. These include microwaves, printers, air conditioners, and even computers. Investing in newer machines and appliances come with perks that can see you save lots of money in energy bills in the long run.