How to Monitor Your Energy Use During the Holidays

Around the holidays, many businesses will see an increase in their electricity and natural gas usage. In some cases, you may find yourself scratching your head, wondering what on earth is causing the increase! In others, you may be able to reduce energy usage with a few simple tips. Monitoring your holiday energy use will help you understand where the energy is going and potentially make better choices to reduce your energy expenses throughout this final season of the year.

Why Your Energy Bill Goes Up in December

As you study your energy usage from past years, you may find that you experience a sharp increase in energy usage throughout December. There are several sneaky little holiday additions that could be the culprit!

The weather

 If you live in an area where the weather grows significantly colder during December, turning on the heat can increase your energy bill substantially--especially if you've enjoyed milder temperatures throughout the fall. Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to increase the cool December air's impact on your energy use.

• Conduct maintenance on your HVAC unit. A well-maintained unit is considerably more energy-efficient than a unit that is struggling to put out the warm air you need. 
• Change your filters. Doing this regularly will ensure that your unit doesn't have to work as hard to produce warm air and may even extend the life of your unit. 
• Turn down the thermostat. A difference of just a degree can save as much as 3% on your energy bill. Dropping the thermostat a couple of degrees can make a big difference in your energy bill without making people uncomfortable. 
• Install smart thermostats throughout the building. Not only will they ensure greater comfort for every member of your staff, they can be programmed to reduce temperatures at night and on the weekend, when no one is in the building. Your smart thermostat can also be programmed to reduce the temperature throughout the building over the holidays, when no one is working. 
• Take a look at your doors and windows and check for drafts. Make sure that any cracks are sealed to help keep your warm air inside, where it belongs.

Holiday lights

Does your business decorate for the holidays? The holiday light show may create feelings of goodwill with your customers and bring holiday cheer to your employees, but it can also significantly raise your energy bill for the month. If you're worried about your energy bill, consider scaling back on the light show and using decorations that are visible in the daytime, instead. You can also use LED bulbs to create a more energy-efficient light show. Fiber optic decorations can also offer increased energy efficiency. 

Regular lights

In December, the nights are longer than at any other time of the year. In many businesses, that means employees are coming in before it's light outside and leaving after it's gotten dark--and that makes it harder to take advantage of natural light sources. Fortunately, you can still experience energy savings in spite of the need to use artificial lighting.

• Check your bulbs. Energy-efficient bulbs can make a big difference in your energy usage throughout the month.
• Take advantage of natural light when you have it. Opening the blinds and letting in the light can help with both lighting and heating, especially in small offices.
• Install motion sensors in little-used rooms, including conference rooms and bathrooms, to ensure that when no one is in the room, you aren't paying to light them. 

Appliances

Does your business conduct a fancy holiday dinner or party, with the meal getting cooked in your office kitchen? What about holiday fliers or posters about events? If you're putting up a lot of paperwork about upcoming holiday events, you're also running your printers--and office printers, especially those that aren't Energy Star certified can use a lot of energy. Consider offering virtual reminders about upcoming events instead. 

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