Office Expenses

Many businesses have the same problem: cost efficiency is not optimal. Without even being fully aware of them, many costs devour the business budget every month. Energy consumption, supplies for everyday use, printing costs or insurance costs - it always pays off to uncover hidden costs and to reduce the office costs sustainably. In addition to well known office expenses, new expenses due to modern developement can lead to unwanted costs. Measures to prevent cyber attacks cause very high expenses in many businesses. In order to be able to achieve real cost efficiency and to recognize the savings potential, various measures can be considered. These can be used regardless of the business model or business orientation.

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1. Eliminate Power Guzzlers in the Office

A modern office is equipped with a lot of technology which requires electricity. Digitalization and the internet have changed the way how employees work in an office. Every office has a large number of electronic devices which are used by one or more employees. On average, about 41% of the total electricity consumption in an office is accounted for by the electronic devices.

Office Expenses which offer Savings Potential

• Reduce electricity costs with new appliances and optimized office lighting
• Carry out constructural measures on the building
• Printing costs optimization
• Check contract terms and renegotiate
• Optimize IT and expand IT security

1.1 Cost Efficiency of New Devices

When buying a new device, the energy consumption of this device should be considered. Modern technology can help to save on energy expences. A computer monitor can be switch off during a break or when the user is on a call to a customer. Even better, the computer can go into stand-by-mode when not needed. Over a whole year, this results in a clearly visible energy saving.

Energy consumption of a PC system (average operation time, estimated):

• Desktop PC 135 watts
• Monitor 50 to 100 watts
• Keyboard and mouse 135 milliamps

Per year you can easily spend about £150 - £200 on energy for the operation of one PC system in an office.

1.2 Office Expenses for Printers, Scanners, Phones and Fax Machines

The sector of information technology includes all devices which are used to communicate with customers. During office hours it is necessary that these devices are operational at any time. Nevertheless, a savings potential is possible. Socket strips with a switch can easily be turned off after working hours and all connected devices are off the grid.

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1.3 Energy-Saving Modes

When it comes to buying office equipment, you should make sure that the devices can go into sleep mode when not in use. In this mode, the devices consume little or no energy. When the printer or scanner gets a pulse, it automatically turns on and is ready to use. The individual devices differ not only in their equipment, but also in their energy consumption. If the devices are older, the purchase of a new model can help to save money. The investment pays off, since the devices are usually in operation for several years. The use of modern devices with a power saving function is a very good savings potential for every office. Devices which are not in use for a longer period of time should be disconnected from the grid.

Energy consumption of office equipment (average operation time, estimated):

• Color laser printer 300 to 500 watts
• Router 20 watts
• Fax machine 110 watts

Per year you can easily spend about £400 to £500 on energy for the operation of office equipment.

Based on the energy consumption of office equipment it is clear that these devices are not big energy guzzlers. However, many offices have multiple electronic devices in operation, adding up to high electricity costs and are well adviced to look into savings options in this area.

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1.4 Office Expenses for Lighting

Office lighting is a very important cost factor. About 50% of the energy consumption in companies is caused by lighting. Especially businesses with rooms with no acces to daylight, have high energy costs. The lights must stay on throughout the day, because employees need enough light to work efficiently. When daylight can be used in an office, it should definitely be used. The highest savings potential results when the lighting is switched off. The investment in energy-saving lamps is highly recommendable for any office. To invest in more expensive, but energy efficient LED lights certainly pays off. In contrast to energy-saving fluorescent lights, LED lights develop no heat.

Each LED contains liquid crystals, which are lit by current. This technique is also used in LED TVs, which achiev, in contrast to plasma TVs, significant energy savings. The technology of LED bulbs is similar. Since there is no heat generated and the individual LEDs require very little energy to develop luminosity, cost-efficiency of LED lights is very high. Changing office lighting to LED lights does not require the purchase of new lamps. LED lights are available for all common lamp holders. The initial investment is not only amortized by the low energy consumption of the LED lights, the bulbs also have a very long life. Depending on the selected manufacturer, up to 50.000 hours of operation are possible. If the office needs to be illuminated throughout the day, it is recommendable to use bulbs with a very long life.

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Power consumption of different lamp types with identical brightness in comparison :

• Light bulb 60 watts
• Energy saving fluorescent lamp 11 watts
• LED light 6 watts

In contrast to fluorescent energy-saving lamps, LED lights need no start-up time to develop their full brightness. A frequent switching on and off of LED lights is possible and does not shorten the life of the bulb. Even if the power consumption is very low, a lighting that is not required should always be switched off. In conjunction with useing LED lights, this results in a very high cost efficiency.

2. Constructional Measures on the Business Building

Energy-saving measures on buildings concern a reduction of energy costs and the associated increase in energy efficiency. These measures are useful when it comes to an older building, which offers savings in terms of heating costs through energy-efficient refurbishment. Modern office buildings that have not been in operation for a long time have usually been built according to the latest energy efficiency standards. In these buildings, the maximum energy saving potential has already been achieved.

Most important building refurbishments:

• Insulation of windows and doors
• Isolation of the outer walls
• Check the roof for the degree of insulation and for structural damage
• Adding effective sun protection
• If necessary, renewal of the heating system in older buildings

Heating costs account for a large proportion of energy costs. For this reason, a large savings potential in the company is possible in this area.

3. Printing Costs Optimisation

In many businesses, printing costs represent a very high amount of expenses with a great deal of potential for optimization. An printing costs analysis will convince businesses that there are many different strategies to save money. Depending on the quantity of printer usage and the size of the business, three- to four-figure printing costs sums can be reached during one fiscal year. Over 80% of businesses are aware that printing is an important cost factor. However, only about 16% use software to analyze printing costs.

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3.1 Analysis Tools

Free software can help monitor a printer fleet and identify potential savings. Independent of printer model or manufacturer, the software is able to put all printers together in one system, giving users full control over all printers in the company.

3.2 Managed Print Services (MPS)

For companies that have a total of 5 printers or more, it is advisable to consider a MPS contract. Office costs can be sustainably reduced with a full service contract. an MPS offer includes, depending on the supplier, control of supplies including an automated reorder, maintenance of equipment and full transparency about printing costs. Managed Print Services are offered by the manufacturers directly or by independent service partners.

3.3 Install Network Printer

Many offices use multiple printers. Each of these printers consumes power. In addition to the acquisition costs, all printers must also be equipped with ink or toner and paper. It is significantly cheaper to use a network printer. The network printer can be placed centrally and can thus be used by several offices. The advantages are obvious: only one printer needs to be purchased, supplies only need to be bought for one type of printer, lower electricity consumption and lower maintenance and repair costs. When using a network printer, resources can be used much better than with multiple printers. The printer can be used by any computer or mobile device on the network. This can result in good savings potential in the company.

3.4 Duplex Printing

When purchasing a printer, make sure that it can duplex print. A unit that is integrated into the printer or build on separately allows the printer to print text on the front and back of a page. This saves paper and money, especially with documents which are only printed to be archived or used for documentation purposes. Using duplex printing can save 50% on paper costs.

3.5 Recycled Paper

The use of recycled paper is a measure that not only offers a high potential for savings in the company, but is also beneficial to the environment. The paper is not bleached white, but has a grayish-brown color. Nevertheless, it is suitable for most printouts. The company may indicate in a sentence or footnote that it uses recycled paper for the benefit of the environment. This is not a disadvantage in terms of communication, although white paper looks a little more attractive. Recycled paper is cheaper to buy. If your company has a big print volume, you can save several hundred euros a year by using recycled paper.

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3.6 Refill / Rebuilt Toner

The purchase of ink and toner for a office printer generates follow-up costs. Due to their qualities many businesses prefere laser printers which work with toner. Toner cartridges are very expensive when purchased new. Companies can save a lot when using refill or rebuilt toner. Nevertheless, it is advisable to not coose low-cost imports, since a loss of the manufacturer's warranty or even damage to the device can not be excluded. If you pay attention to buy refilled or rebuild toner from certified manufacturers, you can save a lot of money without sacrificing print quality. The manufacturer's warranty is retained.

4. Reduce Office Costs and Check Contract Conditions

Saving potential also lies in contracts the company has concluded with external service providers. Here, office costs can be reduced by checking contract conditions and possibly changing over to new contracts. Negotiating skills of the entrepreneur can also pay off. Sometimes interesting discounts can be negotiated.

In the following positions you will find business savings potential:

• Rental agreement
• Internet & telecommunications
• Energy contract
• Insurance

4.1 Telecommunications

Many telecommunication contracts run for several years and are not terminated for convenience. The costs for telecommunications services have fallen a lot in recent years. If you still have an old contract, saving potential is often up to 50 percent. To reduce office costs sustainably a change of the provider can be very useful. Often it is sufficient enough to pronounce the termination of the old contract in order to persuade the current provider to make a better offer.

4.2 Insurance & Electricity

When it comes to insurance a comparison of diffrent providers can be worth while. Often, customers can benefit from special rates offered only online. These offers are often significantly cheaper than offers of local insurance companys, which have a branch in the vicinity. Since the fall of the power monopoly, contracts for the supply of energy have also become cheaper. Companies that have high electricity costs, for example due to a production line, can sometimes claim interesting discounts, which results in high cost efficiency.

4.3 Rent Contract Terms

The conclusion of a new lease is associated with a greater effort than the change of other contracts or providers such as for electricity. If the lease is no longer suitable or to expensive for the company and negotiations with the landlord are not possible, a move is sometimes a very good alternative to realize an required savings potential. It is important that the new location is good for the business and that the customers are informed in good time about the planned move. By no means may a move lead to changes in the accessibility or the reputation of the company. Even if the move brings significant savings, cost efficiency is not given if the move results in lost sales.

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5. Present and Future Office Costs

In addition to every day office costs for electricity, rent, insurance etc., there are also underestimated savings potential. In particular, costs that can occur in connection with IT security.

5.1 IT Infrastructure Optimisation

Every year companies burn money because many of the potentials that digitization offers are not being realized. The automation of digital workflows is a crucial factor when it comes to unrecognized savings potential in companies. As an entrepreneur, one should ask oneself the question of how to make even more effective use of technical progress so that you can continue to be competitive while at the same time saving costs.

5.2 Protection against Cybercrime

What sounds like a neologism from the science fiction field is already a frightening reality for many companies worldwide. Cybercrime attacks cost UK businesses an ever-increasing amount in millions. Investing in a secure IT infrastructure should be given high priority in order to avoid vast follow-up costs.

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