Summertime Savings Tips
With June being the official start of summer (though of course, as an Arizonan, you’ve probably felt summer for a month or more now), many businesses experience a predictable change in their business pattern compared to other months of the year. Some businesses typically pick up in the summer as kids and families go on vacation or seek relief from the heat while other businesses experience a summer slowdown. Whichever way your business swings, being able to save money during this time is a good idea for businesses that are doing well, a critical necessity for those businesses that may be struggling a bit in the down economy. Here are four simple steps that can save most businesses a good deal of money in the long run. Not all of them may work for you, but even implementing one of them could add up to more than $100 in savings over this single summer 2009 alone.

Turn the Sun to Your Avantage
Like a vindictive banshee the summer sun always brings with it much higher electric bills every summer – both at your home and in the office. Air conditioning may be set to higher tolerances at home in order to save money but at the office or wherever it is you entertain customers, sacrificing comfort for a few dollars a day doesn’t seem like a wise move. So if the brighter, hotter sun is going to cost you more by its bright shining, why not turn the tables and use the sun to your advantage? If your business is blessed with an abundance of windows, you can use the natural light provided by the sun to save on electricity by shutting off a few lights. If things get slightly dimmer and you’re worried about customer reaction, point out to them that you are “going green” and saving electricity – that always gets a smile and may just bring some extra positive attention your way.

Kill the Heat Generators
Very few businesses have any reason to use their heaters in the summer but those aren’t the heaters you should be worried about It is other heat-generating items that exist in the common office such as computers. Many businesses have their employees leave their computers on when they leave for the day but don’t think to have them turned off if the employee calls in sick one day or when they go to lunch. Even a computer in standby mode is drawing electricity to preserve information in its RAM memory, and some computers will generate a heat process every so often to keep themselves cool if they heat up. Shutting off systems that are not going to be in use for an hour or more will yield noticeable savings in your electric bill in only one month if you have an office with 10 or more machines. This double-savings; both through saving on electricity directly, and indirectly by not having computers create heat blooms, driving up the temperature and forcing your air conditioner to work harder, is cost-effective and eco-friendly.

Consider Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans reduce the strain on air conditioner systems by circulating the cooler air around rather than letting it sit in one place. Numerous studies have been done and prove that the energy used by a ceiling fan in its nonstop whirling is always less than the energy saved by not having your air conditioner run as often as long as the fan is strategically and well-placed. And when you go out to buy your ceiling fan, consider supporting a member of the chamber of commerce with your purchase if possible – network and make a friend – perhaps you can arrange for some quid pro quo.

Step Into the Shade
Since you can’t move your office building under a tree for shade, why not bring some shade to the most important part of your office: your employees and the interior building. Tinting your windows if they aren’t already, to a darker shade will add beauty and cool the interior temperature by as much as 10 degrees allowing you to set your thermostat higher and raking in the savings. Another green option, applying a professional tint to your windows will have the effect of reducing glare while not much reducing the overall light in your office.

Sincerely,
Greg O’Keefe
Member

(480)626-2109 Office
(480)703-6005 Cell
(800)631-9913 Toll Free
(480)626-1451 Fax
gokeefe@hrwisellc.com
www.hrwisellc.com

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