Business owners must allocate funds for heating bills. Statistics show that the average cost of utilities for office spaces or commercial buildings is USD$2.10 per square foot. It means that the bigger your office is, the more you’ll have to spend on heating bills.
Keeping your office humid, especially during the winter months, is necessary, but this doesn’t mean that you should blow off your budget for it.
There are numerous ways to provide a comfortable working environment for your employees without breaking the bank. Don’t believe it? The tips listed below on how to keep your heating bills down will show you it’s possible:
- Bundle Up
Keeping your heating bills down doesn’t require complex strategies—merely encouraging everyone in your office to bundle might be enough. During the colder months, you urge all your employees to dress in layers. Advise them to wear long-sleeved shirts, jackets, and knee-high boots, so they can stay comfortable indoors without relying on your heaters.
Employees have different tolerance for cold and letting them wear layers will ensure that they remain comfortable regardless of how sensitive or immune they are to the weather. Over time, this will help your business save costs on heating and cooling expenses.
- Ensure That Doors And Windows Are Closed
Doors and windows that aren’t perfectly closed will cause hot air to escape outdoors. It will require your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to consume more energy to create a comfortable environment indoors. It can result in skyrocketing heating bills.
Ensuring that all your doors and windows are closed properly is an effective way of keeping your heating bills down. It will prevent hot air produced by your HVAC system from escaping outdoors, so everyone indoors stays humid.
If you notice that the temperature indoors is still cold despite closing doors and windows, call professionals. There might be a damaged or cracked seal around your doors and windows, making it easy for the cold air from the outside to flow into your office.
- Pay Attention To Your Furniture Arrangement
Are you aware that the furniture arrangement in your office can also impact on your heating bills? If you’re looking for an inexpensive and easy way of lowering your heating bills, pay more attention to your furniture arrangement.
All large pieces of furniture in your office, namely desks, couches, and shelves, should be placed a few feet away from your vents. The further your furniture is placed away from your vents, the better. Thus, placing these pieces near your vents might block the airflow and prevent air from traveling freely around the room.
- Let The Light In
The sun can be your greatest ally when it comes to keeping your heating bills down. Plus, the sun is also a great source of vitamin D that can positively impact the mood and productivity of your employees.
You can open your curtains and blinds and let the light come in during the daytime. The sunlight in your windows can produce heat and reduce the need to turn on your heaters. As long as you practice every day, this old-fashioned hack can become your key to saving money from paying expensive heating bills!
- Close Unused Vents
Commercial spaces will usually have different rooms for different purposes. You might have one room intended for meetings and several break rooms. Generally, the bigger your company is, the more rooms you have in your office.
For rooms that are rarely used, make sure to close the vents connected to the furnace. Rooms that aren’t used don’t need to be heated, so seal off the heat. In this way, the heat is redirected to occupied rooms in the office.
- Give Your Heating System A Yearly Check-Up
Your heating system is composed of different parts, and each should be working properly to function. Even if you followed tips one to five from this article, if your heating system is damaged, don’t expect to save money from your heating bills.
Before the winter season starts, call HVAC contractors from your area and have your heating system checked. Heating professionals have the training, experience, and tools to identify any problems in your heating system and repair them right away.
Using a heating system in tiptop condition will help you lower your heating bills as the equipment will work properly without consuming more energy. Plus, regular check-ups will improve the lifespan of your heating system, allowing you to save more money in the long run.
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
Keeping your heat bills down in 2024 requires a long-term commitment. You can encourage everyone in your office to incorporate all the tips mentioned in this article into their daily routines. You’ll be surprised how your heating bills will decrease if everyone works together towards achieving the same goal.