If you’ve recently started working or taking classes online, chances are your energy consumption at home has increased. There are a couple of ways to make your at-home office more sustainable to help you conserve energy and save money on your electricity bill.
1.) Powerstrips
Powerstrips help eliminate “phantom loads,” which is the electricity that is consumed when electronics are turned off. Using power strips lets you eliminate phantom loads by turning off the power strip when not using electronics.
2.) Thermostat
If you have the ability to change your thermostat change it to an appropriate temperate. The general recommendation is 78F in the summer and 68F in the winter. An interesting fact is that every degree of extra heating or cooling will increase energy usage by 6% to 8%.
3.) Power Saving/ Energy Saving mode
A majority of monitors, TVs, and computers have an energy-saving option you can enable in the settings. The amount of energy savings will vary depending on the device, but this setting could help conserve energy and lower your electricity bill over time. However, one thing to take into consideration for computers is that power-saving mode could turn off background updates, throttle your CPU, and reduce the screen brightness.
4.) Natural lighting
Use natural lighting as much as possible. If you’re using natural lighting you don’t have to rely on using electricity to have a room constantly lit. One way I incorporate natural lighting is by opening a window or even working outside just to have a change of scenery and get some fresh air.
These are some tips that have helped me and maybe they can help you too. For a more detailed list of home energy efficiency tips check out the Energy Star at home tips.
Cedrik Chavez is marketing and communications specialist student employee in the IT Marketing and Communications office.
