How to Save Energy While Working From Home
Whether by choice or because our workplaces are closed, many of us find ourselves working from home these days.
It’s not so bad. Turns out, WFH life has a lot of benefits: no more commuting and no more risking your lunch being stolen from the breakroom refrigerator, just to name a few. However, there is one big drawback: Being home an additional eight hours a day takes a toll on our electricity bill.
Here’s how to save electricity while telecommuting.
Make Your Home Office More Energy Efficient
Some of us are fortunate enough to have a dedicated home office from which to meet deadlines and conduct Zoom meetings. Others have commandeered the dining room table. Either way, all that energy-hungry equipment is going to need watts. Follow these steps to curb electricity consumption.
-
Replace your desktop with a laptop: Desktop computers use as much as 100 watts of power while in idle and well more than that while in use. A laptop is comparatively energy-wise using only 25 to 60 watts.
-
Go with an EnergyStar monitor: Whether you decide to stick with your desktop or go with a laptop, you’ll need an energy-efficient monitor. (You’ll be more productive with a full-sized monitor connected to your laptop.) EnergyStar models draw less power whether they’re on or sleeping.
-
Use a power strip: Your monitor, laptop, phone and other devices are still drawing power when they’re on standby mode. These “energy vampires” cost homeowners about $100 year in electricity costs. Save energy by turning off the power strip when you’re done for the day.
-
Adjust your computer’s power settings: Set your PC to go into a low-power mode after 5 minutes of inactivity. It will resume instantly when you begin using it again. You can also program your computer to shut down at a certain time every night if you’re the forgetful type.
-
Upgrade your lights: Switching out incandescent bulbs in your home office with LEDs can save you more than $40 a year on your electricity bill.
Keeping Working During A Power Outage
Whether or not your WFH arrangement is temporary or permanent, a solar panel system will provide your home with renewable energy at a fraction of the cost. Solar panels will dramatically reduce — or even eliminate — your monthly electricity bills. Plus, if you have a solar battery, you can continue to work even when the power goes out. To learn more, contact the pros at JP Electric & Solar at (559) 464-6048.