Just thought with winter approaching we could offer several tips for keeping your energy costs under control.

• Keep your heating system in good shape. Change the filter once a month.

• Install a “smart” thermostat. A programmable thermostat can run between $25 and $150 on average, but by scheduling the system to cool around your company’s open hours, you could save 10% to 30% on your annual heating and cooling costs.

• Shade the east and west sides of your small business. Plant trees, install awnings or keep the blinds and curtains closed during the hottest or coldest parts of the day.

• Replace incandescent light bulbs with florescent light bulbs. (This truly is a “biggy” for cost as well as our carbon footprint)*

• Turn off your computer, printer, scanner and copy machine when they aren’t in use, especially overnight. When you go to lunch or to a meeting, put your computer in “sleep” mode to conserve energy throughout the day. Consider a power strip for your electronics and turn the strip off each night. (When doing this you might want to also check your ink and toner cartridges to see if they will need to be replaced soon).

* See future articles on “Our Carbon Footprint”

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