Looking after the environment isn’t just for multinational corporations. Small businesses have a lot of reasons to get involved as well.

As a small business owner, you probably already know the importance of being energy efficient. But most business lack the data, expertise or time to implement it properly. A lot of small business owners simply don’t know where to start or how much to spend on making their business energy efficient.

So, here are five simple things you can do right away to cut the energy your business consumes:

Switch to Laptops

It’s hard to imagine a workplace without computers now, but desktops aren’t really necessary for most professions. Laptops are lighter and a lot more energy efficient. In fact, some laptops consume 80% less energy than their desktop counterparts. Switch over to laptops if you can.

Train Your Staff

The best way to cut down energy consumption is to train your staff. Make sure they put the lights off before leaving and shutdown the computers. All smart devices need be programmed to go into sleep mode after a few minutes, even if they’ve got a battery. Just try and have an honest conversation with people you work with, see there’s any way they can help you save energy.

Use Plug In Timers

You’ve probably got a water cooler or a coffee machine at work. These appliances need to stay on for most of the day, but you can place a plug in timer to shut them down for a few hours every night. You only need a water cooler or a coffee machine during business hours anyway.

Invest in The Right Products

A lot of new products are designed with sustainability in mind. Invest in the right products and you can save a lot on your energy bills over the long run. Most Energy Star-qualified products are verified energy savers. Replace your fridge, television, coffee machine or water cooler with a newer, smaller model that is more energy efficient. Sure, some of these products cost more upfront, but you need to account for how much you’ll save in energy bill over the same period.

Smart Lighting

A lot of the new lights available are incredibly innovative. LEDs, for example, are likely to save you hundreds of dollars every year in energy bills. They’re also designed to last much longer. Smart lights from certain companies can be adjusted in a way to conserve more energy. But perhaps the best way to make lighting more efficient at an office is to use motion controlled light switches. These lights shut off automatically when there’s no one around, which means lights are used only where needed.

Cost saving is essential for businesses, regardless of their size. A few simple tricks like these can go a long way towards cutting out unnecessary expenses. Not to mention the fact that you’ll be helping the environment as well.