Wind turbines (Vendsyssel, Denmark, 2004) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The price of operating a business has skyrocketed over the last two decades, but it is possible to cut costs when it comes to electricity. Office appliances now account for the majority of electric costs. When you choose the right office appliances, operate office appliances correctly and compare business electricity prices you can save your business thousands of pounds each year.

Office Appliances Eats Profit

Office appliances are the largest electrical expense of your business. The more equipment you use and the longer it stays powered on, the more profit it continues to eat. However, if you understand exactly which pieces of office appliances consume the most electricity and what you can do to prevent waste, then you will begin to see the savings directly on your bottom line.

Copiers

Large office copy machines are the most energy-hungry pieces of equipment in your office. Copiers that are not energy efficient cost you hundreds of pounds to operate every year. If you have multiple large copiers, the cost can easily soar into the thousands of pounds. Energy-efficient copiers can save you money, but most of them do not go into energy-saving mode until they have been inactive for two hours. Even when the copiers are in sleep mode, they still consume 5 watts to 20 watts of electricity.

You can save money on copiers by using a single large copier and several small copiers. Small desktop or tabletop copiers use only one-third the power of their larger counterparts. To save even more, use copiers that have a duplex or double-sided printing feature.

Personal Computers and Monitors

Even though copiers use the most electricity among individual pieces of office appliances, as a group, personal computers and monitors are the largest energy consumers. While most people assume computers use vast amounts of electricity, monitors account for about two-thirds of the electricity consumed in a computer/monitor set.

Reducing the electrical costs of computers and monitors can be achieved in two ways. First, make sure monitors and computers are turned off at night and on the weekend. Secondly, adjust the power settings of each computer to allow them to sleep or hibernate when they are not in use. Computers and monitors in sleep mode only use about 15 percent of the electricity consumed when they are active. In addition, if you use screensavers, make sure they are not keeping the computer active. Some screensavers prevent computers and monitors from entering sleep mode.

Printers

Printers use less energy than monitors but more than most desktop computers. Energy-efficient printers can save you up to 60 percent on electricity costs compared to standard printers. Make sure your printers power down when not in use. In addition, double-sided printers will save you money because print jobs can be completed in half the time.

Compare Electricity Prices