THE lights are on, but there's nobody at home. It's one of the biggest culprits when it comes to squandering energy: the vast number of offices which continue to glow at night, despite the fact that everyone working in them went home hours ago.
There are many other cases of thoughtless and unnecessary use of power by business. Photocopiers left on at night. Computer monitors blazing away, or still drawing power on standby. Central heating systems wrongly programmed. All of them waste electr
icity – and money too.
Many of the savings which can be made in these areas are obvious, though that begs the question why so many businesses ignore them. Other steps which can be taken to make the office greener may have a smaller impact, but are nevertheless important and well worth considering.
Waste can be separated out into various types and then recycled; it may be possible to fit renewable energy systems to provide power; heating and air conditioning can be moderated by a degree or two; staff can even be asked not to fill kettles in the kitchen to the brim if simply boiling a cuppa for themselves. All these things can make a tangible difference and the savings, both in terms of bills and , add up.
One area which can often be overlooked in the effort to make a business greener is water consumption. All commercial organisations in Scotland must now pay for their water, so it makes sense financially as well as environmentally to keep it under control.
Tony McHardy is head of sales and marketing for Business Stream, a subsidiary of Scottish Water which provides commercial supply north of the Border. His organisation helps customers to cut their bills, and he says it has saved them a total of about £5 million so far.
"If you can save water, you can often save energy too," he explains. "For instance, if you have a hot tap which is leaking, then you are wasting not just the water, but the electricity used to heat it."
He recommends that companies put together a water management plan, giving someone the responsibility for implementing it.
"First of all, you have to know how much you use, so you have a benchmark to make savings against," he says.
"Then you can set targets and see where you can save – special saver bags, for instance, will mean toilet cisterns use less water, and infra-red sensors can also help."
