It was once a subject that some employers would have never breached. Now, it has become the new normal and for many of us, our homes feel as though they have become our permanent office space. And, well, they have. New backyard or basement offices. Tiny homes as offices. The whole idea sounds ideal but what if you have to hear your space or keep it cool? There are energy costs to consider.
Of course, while it has the obvious (pajama) benefits, there are some practical considerations that are starting to become more prominent. Many of us have gone from spending a few awake hours in a home, to the whole day. Ultimately, our energy bills are only going one way.
Bearing this in mind, today’s post is all about how you can send the costs of your energy plummeting if you are one of the many who are now working at home.
Easy infrastructure hacks
Firstly, don’t underestimate the ‘classic’ fixes. By these, we’re talking about the likes of insulation, double glazing and even draught stoppers.
All of the above has been contained in energy-saving guides for years, but if you are suddenly based at home all day, every day, the difference over the course of a year can be considerable.
About your boiler
For years, we have been told to consider energy efficient boilers – and for good reason.
However, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to making the most of your boiler whilst working from home. These hydrogen boiler options might be new but can make a considerable dent in your energy bills (and are great for the planet as well).
Sure, an energy efficient boiler (or an A++ model, depending on where you are based) is an ideal solution in a lot of cases, but there are alternatives.
For example, what about ground or air source heat pumps? Or, if you really want to push technology, what about a hydrogen-fired boiler which have started to emerge?
These options might be new but can make a considerable dent in your energy bills (and are great for the planet as well).
It sometimes comes to opening the blind
OK, this subheading might have been a little understated. However, for many of us, working at home is quickly turning into rolling out of bed and grabbing the laptop. The result? Most of us don’t open the blinds or curtains until mid-morning at best.
Well, this is hurting us from an energy efficiency perspective. Quite often, the flurry of natural light in a morning is enough to gently nudge the temperature higher. Not only that, but particularly now we are in winter, you don’t have to rely on light switches as much.
Review what electrical devices you are using
Printer, monitor, desktop computer – the list of home working equipment could go on.
Quite often, we don’t use all of this at once though. Some of us will just sit with the laptop on our knee for a morning, while for others the printer only comes out once a week (or less).
As such, don’t leave these devices plugged in. It sounds small, but some sources believe that you could save up to 10% per year from your energy bill by unplugging or turning off switches for devices you are not using.
