Bonus hack: sit in the dark

Since we now live in a world where some of us work from home and others in an office, we are aware of how much energy our electronics, air conditioners, printers and other equipment uses on a daily basis. Being aware of our energy consumption also means that we need to take action in transforming our ways to a more sustainable approach of living and working.

Here are simple ways to bring a positive change to our working environments:

1. Natural light is free, use it
Living in one of the sunniest countries in the world, let’s take advantage of using natural sunlight and position our workspace around it. Artificial lights use a lot of energy and can be used in dark spaces out of the sun’s reach. Kill the lights in spaces where no one is present such as pantries, corridors, stairs and so on.

2. Do an energy check
Check the breakdown on your bills to see where you consume the most energy. Offices can also hire energy audit companies to help determine where you can reduce energy consumption. Also, try not to overdo it, we don’t need every single appliance and gadget on all the time.

3. That could’ve been an email
Printing only when necessary can help save paper wastage and the amount of energy consumed by the printer. Send large files over emails or save it to the cloud and if you really need to print make sure you recycle.

4. Buy energy-efficient light bulbs
Changing the lights at home and work can make a world of difference in saving energy and cost. For instance, replacing incandescent lighting with LED lighting means that we consume 75% less energy, they last longer and are safer to use.

5. Tweak the air conditioning
Yes, we have battles at work and at home due to preferences regarding the temperature. Compromise and come to an understanding that doesn’t involve changing the temperature every two minutes. Set it to an optimum working environment and changing the temperature as little as one degree can save a lot more energy and money.

6. Laptops over desktops
Whether at home or work, using a laptop can save a lot more energy than a traditional desktop. Laptops generally have a smaller screens meaning it consumes less energy. Don’t forget to set your screens to hibernation mode when you step out for a meeting or a break as this also helps save energy.

Photo: Nikolay Tarashchenko for Unsplash