Turn off your HVAC when it’s not needed
Turn off your HVAC systems overnight and on weekends when your building is not occupied. Using an automatic on/off timer to control your system facilitates this. These are provided as standard with most modern units, so if you have a timer, use it.
If a few people are working outside of normal operating hours, consider using efficient portable heaters or air coolers to ensure that the temperature is comfortable for them. This saves you having to heat or cool the whole building.
If your staff are working after-hours, encourage them to wear clothing that is temperature appropriate. For example, if it’s winter, suggest they wear jumpers and scarves rather than automatically turning up the heating.
If your workers wear a uniform, ensure season-appropriate options are available.
Taking this approach can bring about significant savings in your HVAC bills.
First National Framptons, NT
The First National Framptons real estate agency in Alice Springs asked their air-conditioning contractor to change the air conditioner start and finish times by just 30 minutes.
This meant it started half an hour later in the morning and finished half an hour earlier at night. It may not seem like a lot, but this reduced the annual usage by 260 hours. The result is a saving of around $850 a year.[1]