As an eco-minded company, we are always looking for improvements we can implement to run a more sustainable office and lower our environmental impact.
Taking a look at the heating in your office is a great place to start when trying to identify a potential green change that you can make. This really hit home to us when a couple of months ago we noticed that the heating was coming on in the morning long before anyone had started work, and that naturally led to questions being asked...
Wasteful without realising it
Our offices are located in a shared building with the facilities in the building run by a management company who have complete control over most aspects of the interior environment. Because of this we didn’t have direct access to our own thermostats to know specifically when it was set to go on and off, but we now knew that we were being wasteful without realising it!
I contacted our building manager to get an idea of the current situation and was surprised at what I discovered. Not only was the heating coming on when no one was in the office, but it was coming on at 4am! Without expecting to we had identified a major waste of energy and money.
A simple change with a big impact
What followed was a simple change that had a big impact. All it took was to ask the building manager to change the thermostats to only come on at times when people are in the office. We never would have known that the heat was coming on at such inefficient times without simply asking the question!
The change may seem small, but the impact is notable. We will now save 1,040 hours per year in heating usage. This amounts to a significant lessening in our environmental impact and moves us forward in our efforts to work in a more sustainable office. We are far below the thresholds to be obligated for ESOS compliance - but clearly that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t assess your energy wastage as a business.
Up for the challenge?
We challenge you to take a look at what changes you could make in your own office. What areas can you identify where there is potential for lowering your environmental impact? If you are in a shared office like we are, who can you get in contact with to help you make changes? If we could make such an impactful difference by just sending an email, maybe you can do the same?
Abigail Warren
Head of Client Services
Abigail joined Ecosurety in 2015 and is now Client services manager, ensuring our team provide valuable support to our clients and look for additional value we can add beyond compliance. She graduated in 2014 with a BSc in Environmental Studies from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. Her degree is a reflection of her passion for environmental issues, which were evoked while growing up surrounded by the beautiful natural landscape of New England.
Useful links
A provisional agreement has been reached on the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
Read More >>The world’s first United Nations-backed International Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Resource Management in the Circular Economy will be established in the UK.
Read More >>Impact Recycling is partnering with Syklo Ltd, a circular economy growth company, to build the largest plastic recycling plant in Finland, using innovative BOSS technology.
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