Business owners and managers alike are looking for ways to save energy costs in their office space. In fact, both large and small companies are creating programs that focus on cost-cutting without decreasing employee efficiency. It is true that a worker’s actions and daily activities have a great impact on minimizing environmental footprints as well as increasing a company’s profitability. The following are some helpful tips on saving energy costs in any office space.

• Lighting - Turning off lights every time a person leaves the premises is one of the easiest ways to save power and can be done by everyone. This also includes turning off lights in other office facilities, such as the bathrooms and break rooms. Small signs can be posted near the door or light switch to remind everyone to turn off the lights when not in use. In addition, replacing incandescent bulbs in desk lamps with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) can significantly decrease the monthly electric bill. Of course, it is not necessary to replace any bulbs if they are still working; replacement can be done as the bulbs burn out. Another power saving step is to turn off desk lamps when all paper-based tasks are complete and only use the overhead lights while performing computer related tasks.

• Power Strips - There are machines that are not used very often yet stay plugged in the whole time. Using a power strip with a switch can be very helpful in these cases. By plugging machines such as the computer, monitor, phone charger, and desk lamps into a power strip, it would be easier to turn off those machines with a single switch whenever the desk is vacated for lunch, errands, or at the end of the day.

• Computers - When a desk will be without personnel for a long period of time, be sure to turn off both the computer and monitor. If a company is able to provide laptops to employees, significant amount of energy can be saved. If the budget does not allow for laptops, be sure to purchase Energy Star qualified computers and peripherals.

• All-In-One-Printers - Instead of having a printer, fax machine, scanner, and photocopier, a switch can be made to an all-in-one printer that can easily accomplish every printing need. The printer can then be assigned to a central, accessible location where employees can do photocopying and other office printing tasks. All-in-one printers are easy to maintain, a great space saver, and users have the option to set it to an economy mode to consume less toner when printing.

• Teamwork - Be creative in a campaign to implement energy-saving methods, especially for those who are having a hard time keeping up with the changes. Organizing fun competition between departments or making a graph of the team’s progress are some ways of encouraging employees. Another way to encourage workers is to have them attend a seminar related to energy savings.

Finally, putting these energy-saving tips into actual use will have a great impact on a company, as well as the environment. Always reinforce the positive behavior of workers by pointing out successes in this joint effort. Share the overall energy-saving success with the entire group and give appreciation to each member in working together to conserve energy and save money in the office space!