Before the pandemic it was already being practiced in some cases, during the current situation it was made a requirement for many employers, and after that, it will certainly not be over:
the home office. Mobile working has advantages and disadvantages. Although employees can be reached at all times and this is largely expected, you can walk the dog during the lunch break you choose, the children don’t need to go to kindergarten so early and if you oversleep yourself, the conference can also be held in pajama pants and shirt.
However, there can be unpleasant surprises when working from home. At the latest when the electricity bill flutters into the house, energy-saving alternatives must be found. What is good for the household budget is also not harmful to the environment. This a finding that is very important, especially in view of climate change. In itself, saving electricity is a piece of cake as long as a few important factors are considered. These are summarized in this article.
Figure 1: Those who set up their own home office to save energy are fit when it comes to savings and sustainability. Image Source: @ James McDonald / Unsplash.com
Avoid standby modes: A first step towards saving energy
Shopping during the lunch break, cooking quickly in between, or just playing with the kids until you finally fall asleep. If you leave your home work on the PC, tablet, or laptop, many things can come up and the break unintentionally lengthens. In terms of working hours, this rarely poses problems – as long as the workload and core times are adhered to, many employers leave leeway with mobile time management.
What can definitely become a problem in the upcoming electricity bill. The devices go into standby mode after a period of inactivity. Although this model does not draw as much power as a switched-on PC, the stand-by mode also quickly affects the meter in the home office.
Therefore, homeworkers should take the following steps as soon as they leave the workplace and do not return shortly:
- Shut down and turn off the device
- Unplug the end device
- Turn off the light -> desk lamp and ceiling light
The whole thing works more elegantly with multiple socket strips that have a power switch. Here, the devices can be easily disconnected from the power supply using the mains switch, without having to pull the plug. Various strips are presented in more detail on socket strip.org to make it easier for consumers to make a purchase decision.
Energy-saving when buying new
If you want a new device to have your own work laptop or to be able to better accommodate private and professional things on one device, you can also pay attention to falling energy costs.
Just the type of device can make a difference. With 50 watts, notebooks and laptops consume less power than a PC. Tablets are not necessarily suitable for every home office, but with a power consumption of 10 watts, they are the frontrunners.
Some things are also changing in the settings of the end devices. Manufacturers are working on energy-saving options for their products. So it’s worth taking a look at them.
Either way, before buying, you should ask yourself which device is suitable for the home office and which devices are also useful during the time of presence work. Notebooks, laptops, and especially tablets are more likely to be taken from A to B. You can also work more relaxed with them at home, for example in the garden, on the balcony or on the couch.
After the purchase: optimize energy consumption
Even after the purchase, you can stick to simple thoughts to keep the electricity bill lower.
- External devices draw electricity: In general, care should be taken to connect only a few external devices to the work device. The mobile phone that charges via USB on the laptop, the music stick that provides background music on the PC while you work, or the external hard drive with clients’ confidential data – everything draws electricity. Connected music systems, printers, scanners, and other devices also draw a lot of juice from the laptop and PC. Therefore, only use it briefly and then simply unplug it if necessary.
- Charging cable: It should also be taken to heart that the devices are only charged when they need to be charged. Having your tablet or notebook plugged in all day even though the battery is full to the brim doesn’t save any energy. On the contrary. Apart from that, cordless devices are also more mobile. Above all, it saves electricity.
- Device settings: In the meantime, you can choose between various energy-saving options in the settings of the end devices. The screen brightness is adjusted, the energy-saving mode is selected and unused apps are closed in the background.
Change power options in Windows: Here’s how
Windows 10 provides very convenient power options for PCs today. These can be reached by users entering “power options” in the search field and clicking on the result. The power options are stored in specific schedules that determine after how many minutes of inactivity the computer should turn off the screen and go into sleep mode. By default, the Balanced plan is on. However, there are also energy plans such as “energy saving mode”, which is particularly helpful for battery-powered devices. Alternatively, the times can also be set manually.
Smart light management: Another savings option
In the morning, the light in the bedroom is quickly forgotten, when leaving the house the light in the hallway, and all evening the kitchen shines in full light, although nobody is there. Everyone probably knows this. All the post-its and memos as a reminder are of little use. It’s fortunate that the Smart Home supports us here too.
A smartphone can be used to check whether the light is still on in the house, even on the way to work. It is also possible to set controllers in such a way that the light can only be switched on after a certain degree of darkness. Another option is a controller that works by time. If you leave a room and forget to turn off the light, this can be registered. A mechanism turns off the lights if no one returns to the room within a short (or manually set) time.
The various alternatives that the smart home offers can be used to save electricity in a smart way. In keeping with the smart home, the lighting should also be approached smartly: LED bulbs save more electricity and energy than conventional light sources and also last longer before they burn out. In this way, you protect the environment and your wallet.
Figure 2: The lighting in your own four walls can also be controlled via Smart Home and the home office can be made more energy-efficient. Image source: @ Stephan Bechert / Unsplash.com
Conclusion: An energy-optimized home office keeps costs low
Switching off devices, only supplying them with the essentials (external devices, charging cables), using the smart home, and using the right light sources correctly – themselves simple actions that can be implemented quickly and easily. If you then want to do a little more good for the environment, you can simply switch to an eco-electricity provider using the electricity-saving tips. Working from home is also possible with a clear conscience.
