Turn your computer off! Workers are causing massive office energy bills with these annoying habits

• Each SMB could pay £90+/year just to run a single computer, report finds
• Most workers leave their devices on, even when they're not there
• This could be the perfect opportunity to modernize with energy-efficient tech

Although many companies have widely reinforced return-to-office policies, many are still battling with higher-than-average energy bills because of worker behavior, new research has claimed.

The Uswitch study reveals running a single computer can cost over £90 per year for SMBs, and workers are hardly helping when it comes to saving electricity.

Around one-fifth of workers admit to leaving laptops, desktops and monitors powered on simply because they don't have to pick up the energy bills.

Worker habits are pushing up office energy bills

This isn't just a day-to-day habit, though. A quarter leave them on during holidays or longer closures, 22% rarely or never turn their monitor off when they're away for extended periods, and 21% rarely or never set their computer to sleep when it's not active.

On the flip side, the number of workers making proactive energy-conscious decisions is low. Only around one-third adjust the screen brightness to reduce energy consumption.

Business energy expect Ben Gallizzi urges businesses to conduct a business energy audit to identify where electricity is being wasted as a starting point. From there, they have a number of routes.

Besides replacing older, energy-inefficient devices, SMBs should educate staff and refine policies and worker expectations. "There are opportunities for business owners and leaders to better communicate energy policies and the benefits of reducing energy for both sustainability and financial purposes," he wrote.

They can also seek to lower bills by finding other providers with lower unit rates. Commercial renewal windows are generally up to six months before the contract end date, Gallizzi explained.

Even combined, these changes might not create a huge impact on your energy bills, but in today's cash-strapped economy, every saving adds up.

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