The work-from-home trend has been on the rise for most of the past decade, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home has become a necessity to which many people are still adjusting. To help you adjust to a new workspace, here are some home tips for creating an energy efficient home office plus some tips for efficient work practices too!
Energy Efficiency Tips For Your Home Office
- Prioritize using ENERGY STAR equipment. Take a look at your options at home, and use the most efficient
- Use a laptop to do your work instead of a desktop computer
- Unplug other electronics in the room
- Use a power strip/bar so you can easily turn everything off with the flip of a switch. This way you don’t have to worry about standby power
- Take advantage of natural light when you can. Set your home office up in a well-lit room or by a bright window
- Light your home office with LED bulbs
- Focus on task lighting. Use a desk lamp (with an LED bulb) instead of lighting an entire room
- Check the power management settings on all your devices to ensure they’re set to the most efficient settings
Work Efficiency Tips
- Ensure your workspace is a separate, dedicate space. It’s important to limit your distractions!
- Set dedicated work hours
- Stick to your office work habits. If you find you’re most efficient checking your email only a few times a day (i.e. morning, lunch, afternoon), stick to that at home too. Working remotely can leave you feeling the need to over-communicate and check-in more often, but don’t sacrifice your productivity!
- Try some new tools. If it’s not realistic to completely separate yourself from your home life, track your work time with an online timer
- If you find you have more time on your hands during the work day, invest your time in your professional development. Take an online course and learn a new skill
