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It is the season of goodwill, and for giving freely.  However, it is also the season for thinking of everyone around the world… and that, conversely, might mean we are actually contributing more, by making cut backs. If you think Christmas is expensive, try this figure for size.  £300 million.  That’s a lot of cabbage patch dolls.  In fact, it equates to the collective cost of just running office equipment in this country.  Each and every year.  15% of all electricity used in British offices powers up the equipment, from the computers to the kettle.  That is set to double in the next five years.  And that’s a lot of brews… even by the standards of Karen from HR. So, before you lock up today for the festive season, here are some ideas for powering down the office and saving yourself some money in the process, leaving you with a few more pounds in your pocket to put behind the bar at the staff do:

6 energy saving tasks for Christmas

1. Let’s start with the easy ones.  Have a look around your premises and check for the items that can be easily unplugged.  Microwaves, kettles, even fridges… these all use electricity when plugged in.  So unplug! 2. Also, make sure nothing is left on standby, which also draws down up to 90% of the power used.  PCs, photocopiers and fax machines are all culprits and should all be fully unplugged.  If you do need one fax machine to be ticking over, switch all others off and divert them to that one machine. 3. Pay particular attention to PC monitors, which can account for half the power used by the PC.  One monitor, left on 24,7, will cost nearly £50 each year.  Multiply that across the office and that can soon add up.  At the very least, make sure all staff activate the automatic standby option. 4. Heating.  If you are completely powering down the business for a few days, knock the heating down to a minimum.  Just enough to prevent the sort of frost that descends when Janet from accounts arrives to do her monthly audit.  Remember, heating costs account for up to another 40% of business energy bills, so there’s no point keeping the place scorchio, like Marbella in July, purely for the office begonia. 5. Lights.  Yes, your street may currently look like the main strip in Las Vegas, but there’s equally no point illuminating an empty office.  Here’s a stat for you to pass on to the staff: keeping a small office lit overnight is the equivalent of brewing 1000 teas. So keep lighting to an absolute minimum, especially at unoccupied desks… or, even better, knock them off completely, including signage and displays.  Richard, the office junior, may well trip over the begonia when you open up in January, but you’ll save in bills what you’ll spend on plasters. 6. Turn off all vending machines, presuming there is no one to vend to.  Unless, that is, Richard and Janet have sneaked back in and are up to no good again.  The same goes for water coolers, since there will be no water cooler moments until everyone returns in the New Year to properly dissect the Christmas episodes of Doctor Who and Downton Abbey.  Ensure, in fact, there is no lost water at all… even if that means checking all bathrooms for dripping taps. It is estimated UK businesses could lose approaching £10 million in wasted electricity over the festive period.  Make sure you are not one of those businesses by following these simple steps. Why not try to carry them into the new year, to set yourself up for a great trading year in 2015? In the meantime, a very Merry Christmas from all at Utility Helpline!