Five ways people working from home can adjust their…

Five ways people working from home can adjust their set-up to keep energy bills down this year

New research from technology solution experts at Brother suggests that over half (55%) of UK employees currently working from home are concerned about their rising energy bills. The UK Government’s £2,500 Energy Price Guarantee puts a limit on charges suppliers can apply, but it does not mean gas and electricity bills are limitless - it is also set to increase to £3,000 from April 1.

The simplest way to look at your energy consumption is that if you use more, then your bill will be higher, similarly, use less and it should be lower. However, as the warmer weather approaches it may lead people to forget simple things like switching off devices on standby or changing the power level on a laptop computer - both of which can add unnecessary costs to your electricity bill, especially if you are working from home more often.

The prospect of trying to concentrate on the job at hand might be tricky if you’re constantly checking a smart meter for any spikes in usage because you’ve got the TV on while you toil away.

The £400 energy rebate, a deduction of £66/£67 has been applied automatically since October to domestic electricity accounts and has gone a long way to ease the worry of having several work devices on the go at one time, but that support is due to end this month.

However, to give people more peace of mind, Brother have shared five top tips to help you make a few simple energy-saving tweaks to your home workstation and any tech you have connected.

Top tips to reduce energy bills while working from home

For anybody who wants to continue working from home while keeping their energy bills to a minimum, here are five top tips for ensuring remote working doesn’t send your bills skyrocketing.

Reduce the brightness on your monitor

If you’re required to use a monitor when working, simply reducing the brightness to a level you’re comfortable with can save up to 20 per cent of your monitor’s energy consumption.

Whenever your monitor is not in use, switching it off can also help to save energy.

Switch on the battery saving mode on your laptop

Most laptops, and even smartphones, will have a battery saving mode which can be found in the settings on your device. Switching this on will allow your laptop to run more efficiently by automatically lowering the brightness of the screen and reducing background activity.

Avoid leaving electrical items on standby, switch them off

When taking time away from your desk, ensure that you save all work and switch the devices off completely instead of leaving them on standby. Leaving a device on standby means that it goes into a ‘sleep’ mode so the device is still operating and using unnecessary energy.

Set up your workspace near a window to allow natural light

Setting up your workspace near to a window will allow natural light to feed into the room, meaning you may not need to use any electrical lights throughout the day.

Ask your employer if they can provide office equipment

It’s always worth checking with your employer to see if they can provide you with any office equipment such as monitors and keyboards that might save you spending in the shops. Your workplace might have allowances for employees working from home, meaning they can lend you necessary equipment.

Brother’s research also found that almost two-thirds (64%) of employees admit they are going into the office more just to cut down on their electricity bills.

A further 72 per cent are limiting the amount they work from home to save money on their heating bills.

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