With energy prices increasing faster than ever – something that concerns 92% of decision-makers – businesses are under increasing financial pressure to address the situation where they can.
Energy consumption in corporate settings has skyrocketed as office buildings which sat empty during the pandemic are once again filled up with workers returning to their desks. In a research released in late July by BRITA VIVREAU, the company reports on the invisible waste (of energy) offices could easily reduce by switching off their equipment, instead of just leaving them in standby mode.
Leadership goals and obstacles
Despite the fact that 45% of decision-makers leave their equipment on overnight and 65% do not know how much energy their equipment uses while it is in standby mode, many decision-makers are actively looking to improve their environmental impact.
- 72% have goals and targets in place to lower energy usage and decrease overall environmental impact
- 86% believe their business could be doing more to lower its impact
- 66% of businesses will be actively trying to reduce energy usage over the next five years
- 40% want to train teams in sustainable practices in the workplace.
The report states that the main obstacles to improving environmental impact for businesses are cost (66%), time (42%) and team resources (29%).
Start switching off!
Laptops and computers (42%), printers (28%), and air conditioners/purifiers (34%) along with TV screens (23%) and microwaves (21%) are all prime examples of equipment left on unnecessarily overnight. Of the 25% of staff letting these appliances go into standby mode 18% say it is easier to just leave them on, and 10% of businesses say there is no one responsible for turning them off.
In a small business with 50 computers, for example, if all are left in standby mode overnight this equates to 5,840 kWh of energy a year. Additionally, if an office has just two photocopiers on standby overnight, this could waste an unnecessary 2,137 kWh of electricity a year – the report points out.
Chris Dagenais, general manager at BRITA VIVREAU UK, said: “We’re aware of food and plastic waste, but what about the invisible waste that we cannot see, such as the volume of energy businesses consume each day and night unnecessarily? It’s vital that we collaborate with companies to tackle the sources of invisible waste. There are simple, energy-efficient steps to be taken that can contribute to real change.”
