Reduce lighting. Reduce lighting where possible and take advantage of natural daylight. Turning lights off or dimming them during the day allows for lower energy costs and a more comfortable environment. Also, remove excess lighting, and turn off signage and other lights not necessary for security and safety.
Install occupancy sensors. These inexpensive devices can reduce lighting costs up to 40% by turning off lights in unoccupied areas.
Replace bulbs. Replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs, which can last up to ten times longer. CFLs provide the same amount of light as standard incandescent bulbs, but use up to 75% less energy.
Use LED fixtures. Replace incandescent lights in exit signs with LED fixtures. This can reduce costs of these signs by up to 95%.
Maintain temperature. Keep the setting no lower than 78°F during occupied times, as comfort allows. Turn off air conditioning when it’s not needed.
Install programmable thermostats or time clocks. Install programmable thermostats or time clocks to automatically control temperature settings on heating and air conditioning equipment.
Perform routine maintenance. Follow a routine maintenance schedule to help your air-conditioning equipment run efficiently and last longer.
Power down equipment. Turn off or set office equipment to power down when not in use. Turning off one computer and monitor nightly and on weekends can save up to $80 a year. And setting PCs, monitors and copiers to use sleep mode when not in use can help cut energy costs by up to 50%.
Lower the thermostat on your water heater. 120° is sufficient for many common uses. A 10°F reduction can save up to 5% on water heating costs.
Invest in energy-efficient equipment. When upgrading or adding new equipment, look for the ENERGY STAR® symbol, which indicates the equipment meets federal standards for energy efficiency.
