The sun is shining, the weather is (for some of us, at least)
sweet - and Smarta has been jolted out of winter's apathetic stupor
by the sunshine and remembered there's still a planet to save. Kick
off your spring by going green with these five ways to cut your
business' consumption - sooner, rather than later.
1. Turn the heating down
Yes, it may still feel like mid-January, but the weather's
finally warming up - so take the opportunity to turn your heating
down. According to the Carbon Trust, cranking down the heating by
just one degree could save you 10% on your heating bill - so it's
not just the planet you're saving.
2. Switch off
It's an obvious one - but the average office still wastes around
£6,000 each year by leaving equipment on over weekends and bank
holidays. Before you leave the office, make sure all the printers,
computers and monitors are turned off. If you're not the last one
to leave, appoint someone else to do it.
3. Incentivise
We all know it's up to us as individuals to do the right thing
to save the planet - but somehow, that goes out of the window when
you've spent the day in a high-stress environment. Instead of
simply expecting your employees to behave sustainably, incentivise
them by rewarding those who carpool, recycle and reduce their
wastage with a sustainability bonus. It doesn't have to be big - a
bottle of champagne will do. But using the carrot, rather than a
stick approach could see a huge boost your business's green
credibility.
4. Green up your distribution
If your business ever ships large items, use a service such as
Shiply, which allows hauliers
to bid for your job and fill spare space in their vehicles at the
same time. It cuts down on carbon emissions and saves you hiring an
entire van for a relatively small item - which could cut costs,
too.
5. Measure up, cut down
Having an idea of how much your business consumes will help you
set targets to cut emissions. Use an energy consumption monitor
such as DIY Kyoto's lovely Wattson to measure how much
energy you're using - then cut back accordingly. Simples!