Owning or managing a business tends to come with a lot of bills. Perhaps you’ve been looking at your expenses lately wondering where you can cut costs and put some more money back into company profit. Did you ever consider that you can save energy and, in turn, reduce your utility bill? We’ve compiled a list of some obvious and not-so-obvious tips for you to convert your workplace into a more energy efficient one.

* Turn lights and equipment off after hours.

* Choose Energy Star® products when possible.

* Put equipment, especially computers, on sleep mode when not in use (running a screensaver on your computer consumes more electricity than you realize).

* If you have a huge energy bill month after month, an energy audit might be a sound investment.

* Make sure to increase the temperature when you leave. There’s no need to cool an empty space.

* Use a programmable thermostat to regulate the temperature and to avoid unnecessary cooling costs.

* Close window blinds to shade the rooms from direct sunlight.

* Install ceiling fans, which makes the indoor temperature feel at least 4 degrees cooler.

* Keep cooling and ventilation system tuned. Make sure to replace filters regularly.

* Use desk lighting as often as possible instead of overhead lighting and make sure to turn off the lights when the area is not in use.

* Replace incandescent or florescent exit signs with LED exit signs.

* Install automatic/occupancy sensor room lighting controls to turn off and on the lights only when the room is occupied.

* Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent lights (CFLs). They last longer and use 75% less electricity and produce the same amount of light.

* Turn off computers and other equipment, especially overnight and over the weekend.

* If possible, use an ink-jet printer instead of a laser printer as it uses 90% less energy.

* Consider having your employees use a laptop instead of a standard computer as laptops tend to use 90% less energy.

You’d be surprised to find that utilizing even just some of these tips can make an impact on your next electricity bill.

And if you want to be greener for the sake of the planet, make sure you select a 100% renewable energy plan for your workplace, which you can find at Shop Texas Electricity.

Source: http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/tips/business_summer.html