Like many companies, the pandemic shifted the way we work at Resonates. Rather than travelling to and from the office every day, we now enjoy a hybrid working model, with some members of the team working from home permanently and others making the trip to the office a couple of times a week.
There are, of course, obvious environmental benefits to this new future of workplace such as cutting out the emissions involved with the daily commute. However, emissions don’t just disappear and an increase in home working naturally has implications for the energy usage and emissions of our households.
We’ve put together some simple sustainable actions you can take to become more conscious of your environmental impact while working from home.
As we’re well and truly in the summer months, we’ve been enjoying longer days and sunnier weather, and with it, lots of extra sunlight. To reduce reliance on lighting your home office, make the most of the natural light by positioning your desk near a window or a room that is blessed with sunshine. If that’s not possible, consider switching to energy-saving lightbulbs.
Not only are plants nice to look at and can create a calming and productive workspace but they also contribute to improved air quality in your home.
A key step to reducing your carbon footprint while working from home is becoming more conscious of your energy usage.
Getting into the habit of turning off the lights, your computer, charger and household appliances will help save energy. Plus, new technology is emerging that can offer a helping hand. For example, our client, equiwatt, helps consumers pause energy-intensive appliances and EV charging during periods of peak demand.
Cooling and heating your home office contributes to its carbon footprint, especially if you’re sitting in the same room for long periods of a day. Research by Which revealed that during the pandemic 56% of people were heating their homes more often and for longer.
Simply dressing appropriately for the temperature and only using heating or cooling when necessary can help reduce your impact. Likewise, turning your thermostat down by one degree will help cut energy usage and bills, without feeling much difference.
Houses in the UK are notoriously bad for energy efficiency, so unfortunately even when you’re powering your home workspace, some energy is probably being wasted. Improving energy efficiency can make a big difference to cutting your home’s overall carbon footprint and can also help mitigate the steep electricity bills we’re currently experiencing.
Ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency ranges from bigger tasks like installing double glazing to simpler steps like draught proofing under doors where cool air finds a way in.
It’s estimated that over 65% of UK households had registered for green energy suppliers in 2021. If you haven’t already, switching to a renewable energy supplier is probably the biggest move you can make to work from home and live more sustainably.
An added environmental bonus of home working is that you’re less likely to be purchasing spontaneous coffees or lunches out, reducing plastic waste.
You can cut your waste further by going paperless. Make the most of the tech you already have such as using the notes app to jot down thoughts or an extra screen to view multiple documents at once rather than printing out the full book.
At Resonates we’re passionate about all things green and work with some fantastic clients who are innovators in sustainability and clean tech. Read about the steps we’ve taken as an agency to reduce our emissions in our sustainability policy.
