What are the top energy-consuming office devices?

Energy costs are an inescapable expense for all businesses and wasted energy can quickly add up, costing UK companies thousands of pounds annually.  

According to the Energy Saving Trust, an average small or medium sized business could reduce energy bills by up to 25% through making improvements to energy efficiency. 

As you might expect, some of the biggest culprits that put a drain on resources are electronic appliances including air conditioning, heating, computers and lighting, but have you ever stopped to calculate what each one is costing per year? 

Although your actual energy costs will depend on appliance make, model and age, manufacturing firm Airdri have collated the figures below to give you some idea. 

How to calculate energy used 

The kilowatt hour (kWh) is the unit of electrical energy, calculated by multiplying the power use in kilowatts (kW) by the number of hours the power is consumed each day. 

To work out the electricity cost per day, multiply the kWh per day by the average unit cost (34p in the UK for 2023). 

Multiply that figure by the number of days in the year to calculate the annual cost. We’ve based these figures on an 8-hour working day for 260 working days per year, with 365 days used for devices which are not turned off on evenings, weekends and holidays like computer servers and fridges. 

Energy-saving tips to lower workplace costs 

• Utilise energy-saving sleep and hibernation function modes when computers are not being used
• Laptops use less energy than desktop computers (plus they have obvious advantages for remote and hybrid working)
• Use a charger only when charging your laptop
• Switch off appliances at the plug at the end of the working day, at weekends and on holidays
• Swap fluorescent light bulbs for energy saving LEDs and where possible, remember to turn off when you leave the room
• Consider motion sensor lights that only turn on when someone is in the room
• Upgrade office equipment to newer “A’ rated energy-efficient models
• Open the windows rather than using the air conditioning
• Lower window blinds in warm weather to block direct sunlight
• In cool weather, open window blinds to make the most of natural light
• Control devices remotely with smart tech
• Don’t overfill the kettle!
• Empty the fridge at weekends / holidays and turn off
• Make sure staff are aware and on board