Cost Cutting

I read a headline in my igoogle newsreader "Cutting Costs, Cutting Waste". I thought, wow, this is the heart and soul of procurement/supply chain efficiencies and it's getting mention in the Globe and Mail! So I quickly jumped onto the link - http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081215.wsbgreenit1215/BNStory/MissionCritical/

Now, this article wasn't what I had expected, but it does make a good point about going green cost savings through energy conservation. Saving energy by turning off a light isn't an instant gratification into cash, you need to wait for the monthly bill to come in and see what savings did occur. It all depends upon your business and energy profile. For instance, a local child care centre use a stove, fridge, washer/dryer none of which are energystar appliances (they were donated). According to Energy Star, energystar qualified appliances could cut energy use by 10-50%. For a typical household that would be $75/year. For a non-profit, that's $75 that doesn't have to come from soliciting donations! In reviewing usage, we determined the centre could save energy by using motion sensor lights outside (previously they would leave the outside lights on overnight/all weekend for security), by changing the lights, they've reduced their energy consumption, and extended the life of the lightbulbs!

As for my office, when I'm the only person in the office, I leave the fluroescent lights off (the whole office is on a single switch), and open the blinds - I have plenty of light, and if necessary, use a task light on the desk. It uses less energy and is better ergonomically. (ref: http://www.ergoware.com/blog/tag/ergonomic-lighting)

Our office multi-functional device is not used extensively with only 4 of us here sharing it. Therefore we keep it on the energy savings setting.

We use a coffee maker that makes individual cups as required, instead of leaving a coffee maker on for hours and/or having to dispose of old coffee and making a new pot!

There are lots of things we could consider cutting further, but this is just the beginning of a new mentality! You can get your own tips from BC Hydro here and here