In business, everything comes down to the bottom line. When it comes to saving those hard-earned dollars to invest them back into your business, one place business owners often don't think of to save is in the cost of lighting. By making some simple changes to your office lighting methods, you can save money every year in energy costs. We've compiled some tricks to help you save by making your lighting more efficient:
1. Turn off lights.
Turning off lights in areas of your office or building that are not currently being used will save money. First, you'll reduce the amount of energy you use, and, second, your light bulbs will last longer because they are not on all the time. Even in old or inefficient lighting fixtures, turning off lights can go a long way in reducing energy costs. Remind employees on a regular basis to shut off lights when they leave a room or workspace. You could even consider developing a reward system for employees who consistently turn off lights; something as simple as ten more minutes of paid lunch time will go a long way.
2. Install sensors.
If all the training in the world doesn't help your employees turn off lights when they leave a room, consider installing occupancy sensors to automatically turn lights on when a person enters the room and off when they leave. Occupancy sensors will produce the same energy savings as turning the lights off, just without the hassle.
3. Switch to energy efficient bulbs.
Energy efficient bulbs like our LED bulbs may be a bit pricey to purchase, but in the long run they'll cost less. They use less energy than traditional light bulbs, and they last longer.
3. Take advantage of daylight.
Take advantage of natural daylight in your office or workspace to increase your energy savings. If you have the opportunity to build your own office space, consider installing more windows so employees won't always need to turn lights on to complete their tasks. In older spaces, consider moving furniture as much as possible to allow employees to work near windows to help them take advantage of natural light. Encourage employees to keep blinds or curtains open as well to increase the natural light in their workspace.
4. Switch incandescent exit signs out for LEDs.
Exit signs aren't the first thing that come to mind when considering where to cut energy costs, but traditional exit signs can cost around $50 a year to run. On the flip side, LED exit signs cost under $5. If your building has multiple exit signs, by making a simple switch to LED, you could start saving a couple hundred dollars a year. Additionally, LED lights can be used in place of almost any incandescent recessed lighting to increase your savings.
5. Change light fixtures.
Finally, if you're still not seeing enough energy savings through everything we've already mentioned, it may be time to change older light fixtures for energy efficient ones. Older office buildings especially may be in need of making the switch to energy efficient fixtures to see increased savings. While changing out fixtures may be costly and a hassle, as time passes, the energy savings will make it worth your while.
Conclusion
Making simple changes to efficient lighting in your office or workspace will help increase your company's bottom line. We think you'll find it's worth it to spend a little time or a little extra money upfront to save yourself money in the long run.
Tell us, how has efficient lighting helped save your business money? Is there anything else we can help you with? Get in touch today!