Energy Saving Tips While Working From Home

If you’re working from home, you may have been a bit shocked by your power bill this month. Was it higher than you’re used to seeing? That’s the case for many people who are now stuck working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, there are a few easy ways you can reduce energy usage and reduce costs while staying at home to work. You just have to get a bit creative!

Room Temperature

Believe it or not, you don’t need to keep a room at 75 degrees at all times! Consider how much money you are putting into heating and cooling costs and see if there are energy-efficient ways you can start cutting back. 

One of the big problems, when you start working from home, is that of temperature control. After all, when you were used to going to work in another location all day, every day, you were probably setting your smart thermostat back while you weren't at home.

Now that you’re home all day, you have probably found that you want to keep things at a more comfortable level. You can close curtains on hot days to keep the room cooler or open them on cold days to keep it warmer.

Use the natural environment to lower the amount of money you spend on heating and cooling. It may not seem like much, but it can really consider setting your thermostat just a few degrees lower in the summer and a few degrees higher in the winter. Every degree of added heating or cooling will increase your energy usage by up to 8%! 

While you’re playing around with temperature settings, take a close look at your refrigerator, too. You can save a ton of money on your energy bill by adjusting the temperature controls on your fridge. Set the temperature as close to 37 degrees as possible. 

This can reduce your energy usage overall, as can checking the gaskets on your freezer and refrigerator doors on a regular basis.Worn or damaged gaskets let warm air into your cool spaces and can also cause cool air to escape, forcing your appliances to work harder. 

If you really want to lower your heating and cooling costs while you're working from home, it might be time to revisit your insulation. If you’re living in an older home, your insulation might be rather poor. You should also apply insulation to your water heater and hot water lines. You can easily do this yourself - foam insulation sleeves can be purchased at most hardware stores.

Lighting

Quit wasting money on overhead lights or desk lamps! If it’s daylight outside, there’s no reason to spend money on artificial lighting. Not only is sunlight, you know, free, but it also provides better, more natural light that’s much easier on your eyes.

Ideally, you should try to make the brightest room in your house or apartment the one in which you work. Keep the curtains open during the day to let the light shine in. Not only can this help reduce costs related to lighting, but it can boost your mood and productivity, too.

Another basic tip is to turn off lights in rooms that you aren’t currently working in. This is an incredibly simple tip that many people, for whatever reason, tend to neglect.

Install Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Compact fluorescent bulbs produce just as much light as conventional incandescent light bulbs, but they consume about twenty percent of the electricity. They also last about six times longer, so you won’t be tossing as much into the landfill when all is said and done. 

While you’re doing a full workup on all your lighting, pay attention to your outdoor lighting. You may want to install some automatic light sensors or even timed sensors.

After all, outdoor lighting is a fantastic way to improve the curb appeal and overall security of your home at night. However, if you find yourself relying on manual switches, you are probably leaving lights on during daylight hours. It doesn’t matter how vigilant you are - everybody forgets.

Installing automated switches for your outdoor lighting can remove the potential for human error - and reduce costs, too. 

If that’s not a task you’re up to, at least install solar-powered landscape lighting outside. This doesn’t have much to do with working from home, but it’s a good general tip to keep in mind if you want to save money on your power bill.

Unplug Appliances When Possible

You’re going to be the most productive when you’re the least connected. While phones, televisions, and other devices are great ways to stay entertained and caught up on all the gossip, they’re not doing a lot for your productivity.

Unplug everything you aren’t using for work at that moment. That includes things that might not inherently be distracting, like chargers, extra monitors, printers, and other devices. These items might not beckon to you as enticingly as the “ding” of an Instagram notification, but they produce a myriad of other problems.

For one, leaving these devices plugged in at all times saps electricity. When you keep “vampire devices” plugged in all the time, you’re wasting your money for no good reason. Plus, the blinking lights can distract your attention away from whatever it is you are working on, even without you necessarily realizing it.

If you don’t want to unplug totally, you have a few other options to reduce costs. Consider investing in a device that manages the flow of electricity to your electronics.

These devices cut off the energy supply when it’s not needed and help to regulate the energy that goes to various devices so you can use your computer and printer - but power will be cut when your printer isn’t actually in use.

These gadgets work wonders on both home office equipment as well as other devices. If you’re really curious about where your money is going, you may want to install a power monitor that will tell you which devices cost you the most money. You’ll be able to take a closer look at your usage patterns, too, to figure out better ways to save.

If you can, get rid of how many electronics you’re actually using. Do you need a wireless keyboard? What about that extra monitor? Carefully consider what you absolutely need and store or give away those devices. While a few strategic devices can help boost your productivity, some are simply energy hogs. 

Don’t forget to read the fine print when it comes to operating your computer in an energy-efficient way, either. Most computers come with multiple built-in settings that are designed to save energy. All you need to do is check the settings. Often, all it takes is slightly dimmer backlighting on your home screen to save you a ton on your electricity bill.

Replace Filters

When you have any devices that have filters, like air conditioners, it’s essential that you change or maintain those filters on a regular basis to help prevent problems. A clogged or aged filter can prevent a machine or appliance from working correctly and can actually make them work harder, causing them to wear out faster.

Turn TV Off

Consider shutting off appliances you aren’t using. Your television doesn’t need to be on at all times - and, in fact, keeping it on to blare the news all day will only stress you out more.

Not quite ready to power down? At the very least, you may want to consider investing in more energy-efficient equipment. Maybe you’re still using a dinosaur of a television that does very little to cut down on energy use. Maybe your laptop has to be plugged in every time you use it and saps a ton of energy the whole time it’s powered on. 

Whatever the case, consider whether an upgrade might actually help save you money. Often, you can trade-in older appliances and equipment to get a discount on new gear. Some companies sell used and refurbished equipment that will not only work better and faster for you when you are trying to log hours, but will also be better for your bottom line. 

When you buy a new device, try to make sure it is EnergyStar-rated whenever possible. EnergyStar standards are those that create efficient power usage levels for appliances and give you a metric that you can use when comparing the power usage of one appliance to another.

Don’t just set your device up in any location, either. Try to avoid positioning your television or other heat-emitting devices, like lamps, near thermostats. This can mess with the calibration of your t thermostat, causing it to think the room is hotter than it actually is.

Time Your Chores Wisely

One of the benefits of working from home is that you’ll be able to get a bit of housework when you normally would be stuck in the office. Consider using dishwashers and clothes washers at odd times of the day (check your area to see peak energy usage so you can avoid rush hours). 

This not only helps reduce your energy expenses, but it will lower the strain on the power grid, too.

Another tip? Let your dishes air dry instead of using the heated dry setting and wash your clothes in a cold water setting. You aren't in any rush if you’re working from home! For an added eco-friendly boost, you may want to set up a clothesline to dry your clothes. That way, you won’t have to run the dryer (which not only sucks up energy, but can be a loud distraction when you’re trying to work, too).

Enjoy The Backyard or Another Environment

Take things outside of your small indoor office space. A breath of fresh air could do you good!

Consider moving your home office outside, weather permitting. This will help you reduce energy costs because you won’t be using lighting, heating, or cooling appliances in the room you are in. Plus, it can boost your productivity and overall relation, too.

While it might not be possible for everyone, another option is to migrate your home office to a new location. This can prevent you from feeling as though you’re cooped up and will also limit distractions at home. Head to a coffee shop or library where you can take a mental break by watching people every few minutes or so.

This tip might not save you a ton of money - if you’re frequenting a coffee shop, you’ll still be expected to buy, at the very least, a cup of coffee to justify your seat there -but it can provide a nice mental break at the very least.

Helpful Home Energy Saving Tips While Staying Safe At Home

The best tip to help you save money, reduce cost and reduce energy when you’re working from home or staying at home during the pandemic? Work smarter - not harder.

When applied to working from home, that commonly used phrase is entrenched in meaning. For starters, one of the easiest ways to save electricity when you are working from home is to limit the number of hours you are on your computer. Pare down your workday as much as possible and figure out how you can trim the fat.

How many hours per day do you spend cruising social media? You might be surprised by how high that number is once you start taking a tally.

If you can get your work done in six hours instead of eight, you’ll not only save money (you can power down the computer, which will lower your electricity bill) but you’ll save sanity, too. Less time in front of a screen=more time to spend doing things you actually enjoy. 

Working from home has been proven to have a variety of environmental benefits. Not only does it cut down on your commute (which can really save your sanity, too!) but it also can cut down on the wasteful energy use of a large, extravagant office building.

If you want to cut expenses and reduce energy uses while you are staying at home, these tips should help you go green for the greater good.

Lisa Czachowski is a professional social blogger and has worked on several online publications including Citrus Sleep. Lisa is an experienced content writer and copyeditor. You will find many of her works throughout CitrusSleep.com that cover a wide array of subjects including sustainability, natural, sleep products, health, fashion and many more. She is passionate about what providing as much information as possible on products you bring in your home and what we wear.

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