The work-from-home trend sure has its perks. From skipping the commute to wearing comfier clothing, there are a lot of reasons why some employees prefer this work model. Of course, there can be some downsides. One in particular is increased energy usage and, therefore, higher utility bills. In fact, some research suggests households may use 25% more electricity and 17% more gas per day when residents are working from home.
If you’ve noticed the bills have been going up since transferring to a home office, not to worry. There are plenty of ways to cut down on wasted energy and slash your energy costs. To start, you might be able to sign up for lower electricity rates depending on where you live. Certain states, such as Texas, have deregulated electricity which allows residents to shop around for electricity suppliers at decreased rates.
Several other ways to save on utility bills revolve around home upgrades. For instance, when it’s time to swap out an old light bulb, opt for an LED model instead of incandescent. Doing so could reduce your kilowatt-hour consumption each month and, according to the Department of Energy, use 75% less electricity.
Along the same lines is to plug all your electronics into a smart power strip. Designed to diminish phantom energy use, these strips power down the electronics plugged into them when they’re not being used. Speaking of phantom energy, every household — whether someone is working remotely or not — should unplug phone chargers and small appliances when they’re not in use to reduce waste.
Another way to cut down on energy usage is to update your thermostat to a smart home device. With loads of programable features and offering easy access with an app on your phone, these innovative thermostats automatically adjust the temperature to preset conditions. The result is less wasted energy as the home is kept at optimal temperatures throughout the year.
Aside from purchasing the latest modernizations, you can also make changes to your home office habits. A few adjustments could be to leave a reminder to unplug at the end of the day or bundle up with layers and a blanket so you might lower the temperature. There’s also common-sense behaviors — such as turning off the lights and shutting the windows when the heat or air conditioning is running — that we all should be more mindful of each and every day.
Want to learn more ways to reduce energy waste and save on your utility bills? Check out the accompanying resource from Energy Pricing for further information.
Infographic Provided By Electric Suppliers, Energy Pricing
Resources
https://energypricing.com/blog/working-from-home-in-houston/
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/articles/how-save-energy-working-home
https://illumination.duke-energy.com/articles/10-easy-ways-to-save-energy-while-working-from-home
https://www.hivehome.com/discover-hive/smart-home/how-to-save-energy-working-from-home
https://energypricing.com/blog/working-from-home-in-houston/