Energy Saving Tips for Telecommuters

Approximately 45 million Americans telecommute at least one day a week. If you’re one of them, you may find that your electric bill has increased since you began using your home office. Fortunately, there are some excellent energy saving tips for telecommuters that can slash utility costs while having a beneficial impact on the environment.

Look for ENERGY STAR home electronics. Electronics with the ENERGY STAR certification offer a dramatic reduction in power consumption over traditional electronics. For example, computers labeled with this designation reduce energy use by 30%-65%.

Select Multi-Functional Devices. Rather than having a separate fax machine, copier, and printer, consider an all-in-one device to lower your electric bill. If you are printing in house flyers or direct mail postcards having a multi function all in one can save you a ton of money. s

Use Power Management Settings. Your laptop or desktop has power settings that can be changed to reduce your energy consumption. Rather than using your screen saver—which doesn’t affect energy usage—opt to set your computer to automatically use sleep mode when it’s been inactive for a certain period of time.

Invest in Power Strips. If all of your electronics are plugged into a power strip, they can all be easily turned off with the flick of a switch. Or, for even more energy savings, consider a smart power strip. These eliminate the use of standby power which accounts for 5% of electricity usage in the United States.

Purchase Energy-Saving Light Bulbs. It’s estimated that an Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) saves $30 over its lifetime and pays for itself in 6 months. It also uses 75% less energy and lasts approximately 10 times longer than an incandescent light bulb.

Choose a Laptop. If possible, use a laptop rather than a desktop computer. Laptops use about one-third less power than desktops. Also, it’s estimated that a laptop will reduce your electric bill by $19 annually, compared to a desktop.

Use Fans and Space Heaters. Rather than keeping the entire house heated or cooled throughout the day with expensive air conditioning or home heating, keep a fan and a space heater in your home office. The savings on your heating and cooling bill will be substantial.

Caulk Windows. With air often leaking through older windows, caulking will reduce drafts, making your home office less expensive to heat.
By applying these simple energy saving tips, you might find that your utility bills are even less expensive than before you began telecommuting.

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