Reduce Office Energy Consumption in 2026

Neil Sullivan

Director

Sarah Walker

Marketing & Business Development Coordinator

Last Reviewed: Wednesday 30 September 2026

There’s no business to be done on a dead planet.”
David Brower

With the climate crisis worsening and energy prices rising, it’s vital that businesses work to reduce office energy consumption. Our team of experts have put together a few handy hints to reduce your office and home energy consumption and contribute to saving our planet (because, as we all know, there is no Planet B).

1. Energy Efficiency

In the past, it’s largely been the case that businesses have been focused on maximising profits through traditional methods, but in our current climate integrating sustainability into your company’s purpose can have a knock-on effect to revenue and sales. More and more consumers are looking for sustainable workplaces and one of the first steps a business can make is by being more energy efficient.

Carrying out an energy audit/walk around helps to identify where energy is being wasted outside normal working hours. Therefore,  helping you to understand which Processes like optimising your heating systems, improving lighting by switching to LEDs, Turing off equipment are most relevant to your office.

2. Be Print Smart

Being prudent with your printing is a big step on your road to efficiency. By choosing energy-efficient office equipment this has a direct impact on reducing electricity consumption.

When replacing printers or multifunction devices, look for models with recognised energy-efficiency credentials and power-management features such as automatic sleep and shut-off modes. Additionally, setting up printers to use black & white, double sided printing and printing in batches has a greater effect over the long-term. 

An example of positive change is in Leeds, where a case study by the UK government demonstrated that through tackling inefficiency within their print services they have managed to save over 12.5 million sheets of A4 paper and saved £12,000 thanks to a reduction in energy consumption.

3. Keeping an eye on your energy

This one might sound obvious, but luckily nowadays there’s one sure fire way to keep your energy in check – The Smart Meter. With these handy little devices you can easily monitor your company’s usage, keep tabs on what you’re spending and in turn reduce your business’ overall office energy consumption. This makes bills more accurate and allows you to see where you could be saving.

Latest government evidence suggests that smart meters could reduce consumption by around 2.8% for electricity and 4.5% for gas.

4. A little light efficiency

We know that replacing your office’s lighting might sound daunting, and keeping a well lit workplace is essential to employee work flow – but the big switch from old incandescent bulbs to modern LED lighting is specifically recommended by the government. LED’s use significantly less energy than halogen bulbs which in turn can deliver cost savings. 

In addition to this, why not ask your team to make sure lights are being switched off when no-one’s in the room, or to open blinds and make the most of natural light during the day?

5. Complete Climate Control

Whether you’re trying to keep the place cool, or keep the heat in, keeping a well conditioned working environment is top priority when it comes to employee satisfaction. 

UK Gov guidance suggests that optimum heating should be st to 19°C and cooling to 24°C or higher. 

Furthermore, switching heating off at weekends and bank holidays as well as considering smart thermostats is another avenue to go down. 

6. Home Working

Over the pandemic, lots of businesses have embraced working from home, and in 2025, ONS found that 28% of working adults in the UK were hybrid working between January & March.

This ‘new normal’ has meant a massive change for businesses’ and the way they work, but that doesn’t mean cutting corners on efforts towards sustainability. Encouraging your team to introduce energy efficient methods of working when at home can mean a shift in attitude when brought back into the office. 

7. Don't forget your energy contract

Energy efficiency isn’t only about reducing the amount of energy you use. Reviewing your energy contract can also help ensure you’re getting a tariff that works for your business. Regularly reviewing your consumption, contract terms and available options can help businesses identify opportunities to manage their overall energy costs.

8. Generate your own energy

Once you’ve reduced unnecessary energy consumption, businesses could consider generating their own renewable energy.

For businesses with their own facilities this can be extremely beneficial. Solar PV can help organisations generate electricity onsite while reducing reliance on grid-supplied energy.

Just have a look at this example with Accord Hospice where their solar panels have allowed for a saving of 12.5 tonnes of CO2 a year.

How can Boxfish help?

Boxfish are passionate about getting businesses in the right shape to achieve a net-zero carbon future. We’re currently working with hundreds of companies to reduce their office-based carbon, energy consumption and utility spend.

Sound interesting? Get in touch via our contact form or give us a call on 0141 226 8525 and we’ll take it from there.

 

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