Top tips for saving energy at work

Switch it off when it's not in use

Small changes in electricity usage not only help the environment and reduce energy bills, but can also help make your organisation more environmentally conscious.

Avoid hidden power usage

Many devices have ‘standby’ settings that draw power — sometimes as much as 5 to 10 watts — even when they're turned off. To make sure that your computer, monitor, printer, photocopy machine, television, etc. are all the way off, pull the plug rather than flipping the switch before heading out the door. To make it easier, try plugging hardware into a power strip with an on/off switch (or a smart power strip), the whole desktop setup can be turned off at once.

Computer energy settings

Set the computer to sleep mode when you are away for short periods of time. And don't use a screensaver - these use energy rather than save it, and you are much better off relying on the power management features to power down to lowest energy use, or sleep mode. A computer in sleep mode can save 60-70% of power.

Go Green - Literally

Make your office literally green with plants! They absorb airborne pollutants (which are rampant with off-gassing office furniture), and emit healthy negative ions and oxygen into the air as well as making the office environment look more homely.

Check your energy usage more often

A recent research suggests that people who monitor their use of energy, use less.

Keep energy efficiency in mind

For example when boiling the kettle, only boil enough water for what you need to use.

Go digital and print less

The greenest paper is no paper at all, so keep things digital and dematerialised whenever possible. The more you do online, the less you need paper. Keep files on computers instead of in filing cabinets. Review documents onscreen rather than printing them out. Send emails instead of paper letters. New software like Greenprint helps eliminate blank pages from documents before printing and can also convert to PDF for paperless document sharing.

Stop wasting warm water

Warm water also adds to your energy bills because you pay twice – once for the water, and once to heat it unnecessarily.

Don’t forget to turn off the lights

Electric lighting burns up to 25% of your average energy budget.

• You can find more about Beds SU Activities  www.bedssu.co.uk/events/go-green-fair