Press & PR

Companies have been advised that they can reduce their costs at the same time as saving the planet by making environmental improvements.

Green measures such as swapping to energy efficient light bulbs and turning electronic equipment off outside of business hours can cut a firm's energy bills, according to Smart Works.

Sarah Van Erp, a business advisor at the London Development Agency initiative, said making such changes can have "quite a bit of a difference".

She highlighted the case of one organisation with around 65 staff which saved up to £1,500 on their annual energy bills by switching their light bulbs and buying timers to shut off equipment at night.

"There are a lot of easy, low cost measures that can be taken to achieve some pretty substantial savings," she said.

"Even just educating staff about things such as how to do double sided prints and showing staff how to fully shut down their computer; often there is some really basic stuff that can be done."


Companies can also reduce the amount of carbon emissions their activities produce by allowing more of their staff to leave the car in the drive and work from home.

By using an internet phone system, companies can avoid incurring extra costs but still keep connected to their employees working outside the office.

Vonage offers a small business package for £16.16 a month, which includes free calls to the UK and Ireland and a fax line.