• Switch off all lights, computers, copiers and other non-essential equipment when not in use including after office hours at night and during weekends. This can reduce their energy use by 25%. E.g. Photocopiers left on standby mode throughout the night use energy equivalent to printing 5,000 copies.

• Enable energy-saving features on all computers and copiers.

• Put computer monitors to sleep rather than use screen savers. Contrary to popular belief, screen savers are meant to prevent phosphor ‘burn-in’ on the screen and don’t actually save energy, in fact they often consume more energy.

• Turn off monitors when not using for periods of more than 30 minutes.

• Turn off personal computers if not in use for 2 hours or more. Don’t worry this will not harm your machine.

• Choose a low voltage computer with low energy hard drive and good power management features. Also consider a low-resolution, monochrome or crystal liquid display monitor.

• Make good use of natural lighting when possible.

• Replace normal filament light bulbs with energy efficient alternative. Fluorescent lights give off a lot more light and are more cost and energy efficient compared to incandescent ones. They are other energy saving bulbs also last 10 times longer.

• Install occupancy sensors that turn off lights when no one is in the room.

• You want to be comfortable when working, not cold. Adjust your air conditioning temperature settings to 250C or warmer every time you’re feeling cold. If your building has a centralised system, appoint someone responsible for contacting building management and have them adjust your office’s temperature settings accordingly.

• Make sure external doors and windows are closed and do not allow the cool air to escape from your office.

• Lights and machines give off heat, so turn them off when not needed to reduce your building’s cooling requirements.

• Regular maintenance and annual servicing of your air conditioning system can ensure maximum energy efficiency and performance.

• Consider energy-efficiency when purchasing new equipment. Give preference to equipment with low power stand-by or sleep features.

• Printers spend a lot of their time “idling” and this consumes energy, so compare energy consumption of different makes.

• Inkjet or dot-matrix printers minimise energy consumption. These use up to 95% less and 75% less energy, respectively, than laser printers.

• Reduce standby energy by using one multipurpose machine for photocopying and printing or share printers and copiers, this will decrease their idle time and provide for more cost effective use of the equipment.

• Get an energy audit conducted of your office. Audits cover all aspects of office energy including insulation, cooling, lighting and equipment use, and tell you where your greatest energy losses are and where you could make the greatest savings.