Energy

Savings Checklist

Energy savings checklist

There are many ways that you can save energy in your business. Use this checklist of
questions to help assess and reduce energy use in your business, and learn what you can do to
make a positive impact on the environment. Check your answers to each question and find tips
in the second portion of this document.

Printing
Mark your answer below to find actions, quick facts, and tips to help improve the energy
impact of your office printing.

YES

NO

I DONT
KNOW

Q1: Are individual printers common on peoples

desks?
Q2: Do you have separate printers, scanners, and
fax machines?
Q3: Do you switch off all your printers, scanners,
and fax machines at the end of the day and on
weekends?
Q4: Can you print on both sides of the paper
(duplex)?
Q5: Do you use software to help you manage
printer settings and reporting?
Q6: Is the paper youre using Forest Stewardship
Council-certified and/or does it contain recycled
content?

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Q7: Do you encourage behaviors or employ

strategies to reduce printing?

Personal computers
Personal computers (PCs) can include tablets, notebooks, and thin clients (very small desktop
units that have most of their functions located on a server and not in the box itself).

YES

NO

I DONT
KNOW

Q8: Are all your PCs Energy Star-qualified?

Q9: Do all of your PCs have the power-saving
features enabled?
Q10: Do you have power bars that allow switching
off all accessories?

Travel
Mark your answer below to find actions, quick facts, and tips to see how IT tools can reduce the
impact of your employee and business travel.

YES

NO

I DONT
KNOW

Q11: Do you have Skype/video conferencing/

phone conference lines?
Q12: Do you have webcasting/desktop sharing
programs?

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Q13: Do you have commuter ride share programs?

Q14: For the tools and programs above, do
employees know:

How to access them?

How to use them?
Are they motivated to use them?

Q15: Do you track how much these tools and

programs are used and celebrate the savings?
Q16: Do you have IT tools and policies that let you
avoid travel where possible, such as phone and
Internet policies to allow working from home?

Heating, air conditioning, and ventilation

Heating and air conditioning can include portable heaters, portable air conditioners, and fans.

YES

NO

I DONT
KNOW

Q17: Do you have portabable heaters/air

conditioning units within your business?
Q18: Do you have obstruction in front of the
heaters/air conditioning vents?
Q19: Do you have any drafts coming from
windows/doors?

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Lighting
This category is for any lighting used, such as spotlights and fluorescent tubes.

YES

NO

I DONT
KNOW

Q20: Do you use energy-saving light bulbs?

Q21: Do you switch off the lights in areas not in
use?
Q22: Is there any part of your business where
daylight can replace electric lights?
Q23: Do you have any sensor to switch off lights
when not in use?

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Answer guide and tips

Q1: Are individual printers common on peoples desks?
You answered YES. In most companies there is no need to have a printer for every employee.
An average printer-to-employee ratio is 1:7, but some go as high as 1:10 or as low as 1:4. All
you need is a multi-function printer (MFP) that can:
1. Print 2-sided (also called duplex).
2. Scan-to-email so that you can eliminate paper files (unless legally required) and
sending hard copies by courier/mail.
3. Copy (used less if you have the scan-to-email function).
You answered NO. Good! There is no need to have a printer for every employee.
Dont know? Read below and then take a walk around the office to find out the answer! In
most companies there is no need to have a printer for every employee. An average printer-toemployee ratio is 1:7, but some go as high as 1:10 or as low as 1:4. All you need is a multifunction printer (MFP) that can:
1. Print 2-sided (also called duplex)
2. Scan-to-email so that you can eliminate paper files (unless legally required) and
sending hard copies by courier/mail
3. Copy (used less if you have the scan-to-email function)
Q2: Do you have separate printers, scanners, and fax machines?
You answered YES. Every piece of IT equipmentprinters, scanners, and fax machines
consumes electricity even when not in use (unless you switch it off). Combining these
functions into one device will help you save on electricity costs.
You answered NO. Great! Each piece of equipment consumes electricity. Combining these
functions into one device will help you save on electricity costs.
Dont know? Thats OK! Start now, by surveying every piece of IT equipment in your office
printers, scanners, and fax machines. Each piece of equipment consumes electricity even when
not in use (unless you switch it off). Combining these functions into one device will help you
save on electricity costs.

Q3: Do you switch off all your printers, scanners, and fax machines at the end of the day
and on weekends?
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You answered YES. Fantastic! Printers (and other electrical equipment) left on overnight and
on weekends can add up in energy costs.
You answered NO. Printers (and other electrical equipment) left on overnight and on
weekends can add up in energy costs. Use HPs Carbon Footprint Calculator to find out what
your savings could be (data for HP and non-HP products are listed in the calculator).
Dont know? Its time to conduct a power-down audit! Printers (and other electrical
equipment) left on overnight and on weekends can add up in energy costs. Use HPs Carbon
Footprint Calculator to find out what your savings could be (data for HP and non-HP products
are listed in the calculator). Be informed about Energy Star and Eco labels.

Q4: Can you print on both sides of the paper (duplex)?

You answered YES. This is great! Remember, this doesnt cost you anything and youre
potentially saving 50 percent of your paper as a result of this simple change!
You answered NO. Automatically setting a printer to print double-sided saves up to 50 percent
of your paper. Paper is the largest impact from printing and in most cases, making this change
does not cost you anything.
Dont know? Check your printer settings. Automatically setting a printer to print double-sided
saves up to 50 percent of your paper. Paper is the largest impact from printing and in most
cases, this does not cost anything to implement. Making this change seems obvious to you, as
an environmental champion, but if you havent already done so, ensure that you communicate
this to your colleagues. Demonstrating the savings can be a great way to keep them bought
in to your programs.

Q5: Do you use software to help you manage printer settings and reporting?
You answered YES. Nice work! Software like the free HP Web Jetadmin can cut down on your
management time and produce data to help with your environmental baseline or a
sustainability report.
You answered NO. If you have a number of printers but have to manually adjust each one to
set on/off times or duplex setting, you are missing the opportunity to leverage free software
such as HP Web Jetadmin that can cut down on your management time and produce reports
for you. These reports can be used to tell your team if you are doing a good job of reducing
print, give positive feedback to your employees, and provide data for a sustainability report.
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Dont know? If you have a number of printers but have to manually adjust each one to set
on/off times or duplex setting, you are missing the opportunity to leverage free software such
as HP Web Jetadmin that can cut down on your management time and produce reports for you.
These reports can be used to tell your team if you are doing a good job of reducing print, give
positive feedback to your employees, and provide data for a sustainability report.

Q6: Is the paper youre using Forest Stewardship Council-certified and/or does it contain
recycled content?
You answered YES. Good job! If you hold two pieces of paper up and try to tell which came
from a responsibly managed forest and which came from a clear cut forest, it is impossible to
tell. The ONLY way to know is through the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) tracking with the
FSC logo. Check out this video on FSC.
You answered NO. Identify what type of paper youre using (for the office, in packaging and
shipping materials and printed materials). If it does not contain recycled content or is not
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified, you should suggest making the change.
Dont know? Start by identifying what type of paper youre using (for the office, in packaging
and shipping materials and printed materials) and who is responsible for buying it. If it does
not contain recycled content or is not Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified, you should
suggest making the change.
Note: It can be more expensive so you will need to demonstrate that you can cut costs in other
ways so that savings go toward purchasing more responsible paper. Most offices find printing
on FSC and 30 percent recycled content paper is a good combination.
Note: All HP printers can work with recycled content paper. To see HPs paper policy, click here.
You can copy the policy for your business if you need one.

Q7: Do you encourage behaviors or employ strategies to reduce printing?

You answered YES. Great work!
You answered NO. In many businesses there are legal requirements to print certain
documents or to keep hard-copy files. Fortunately, these requirements are slowly being
changed. However, as an environmental champion its important to be aware of this and not
try to force print reduction strategies where they are not appropriate. You will likely be more
successful if you are sensitive to individual needs. Employees with vision issues or certain
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types of learning disabilities may require printing more than others. On the other hand, there
are many ways to take print out of business processes. By using scan-to-email and saving
items to the cloud, data can be safely stored, searched, accessed by the right people, and
archived. For example, setting up a banking process to eliminate the need for hard copies also
can remove the need for couriers to take the hard copies to the head office, resulting in an
even bigger footprint reduction!
Dont know? In many businesses there are legal requirements to print certain documents or to
keep hard-copy files. Fortunately, these requirements are slowly being changed. However, as
an environmental champion its important to be aware of this and not try to force print
reduction strategies where they are not appropriate. You will likely be more successful if you
are sensitive to individual needs. Employees with vision issues or certain types of learning
disabilities may require printing more than others. On the other hand, there are many ways to
take print out of business processes. By using scan-to-email and saving items to the cloud,
data can be safely stored, searched, accessed by the right people, and archived. For example,
setting up a banking process to eliminate the need for hard copies also can remove the need
for couriers to take the hard copies to the head office, resulting in an even bigger footprint
reduction!

Q8: Are all your PCs Energy Star-qualified?

You answered YES. Great! This means that you are selecting devices that are in the top 25
percent of lowest-energy-consuming products.
You answered NO. To ensure your devices use as little energy as possible, buy only Energy
Star-qualified products. This means that you are selecting devices that are in the top 25
percent of lowest-energy-consuming products. Energy Star applies to PCs and monitors,
notebooks, printers, and servers. There is not yet a standard for tablets/thin clients. You can
check out the energy consumption of HP PCs by clicking here (this tool allows you to calculate
what your energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions are).
Dont know? Start by surveying all of your equipment to determine if they are Energy Starqualified. If they are, this means that you are selecting devices that are in the top 25 percent of
lowest-energy-consuming products. Energy Star applies to PCs and monitors, notebooks,
printers, and servers. There is not yet a standard for tablets/thin clients. You can check out the
energy consumption of HP PCs by clicking here (this tool allows you to calculate what your
energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions are).

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Q9: Do all of your PCs have the power-saving features enabled?

You answered YES. Nice work!
You answered NO. The energy savings that come with buying an Energy Star-qualified PC can
be undone by the user changing the energy-saving settings on the PC. Different brands have
different names for their power usage features. For example, for HP devices click here. For HP
Auto on/Auto off technology, click here. To find out how to activate power management with
your specific operating system, click here.
Dont know? The energy savings that come with buying an Energy Star-qualified PC can be
undone by the user changing the energy-saving settings on the PC. Different brands have
different names for their power usage features. For example, for HP devices click here. To find
out how to activate power management with your specific operating system, click here.

Q10: Do you have power bars that allow switching off all accessories?
You answered YES. Good job! Now whats left is to ensure that employees switch off all
equipment at the end of the day. Employees often fail to switch off devices at the end of the
day, thinking a device uses little power in sleep mode, but they often forget about phantom
power, or power used by the device even when the device is not active.
You answered NO. Many employees fail to switch off devices at the end of the day, thinking
that each device such as a monitor or notebook uses very little power in sleep mode. While this
is true, if you combine the total usage of power used by the device even when the device is not
active, called phantom power, there still is an impact. Here is how to solve the phantom power
issues:
1. Educate employees.
2. Make it easy for them to switch everything off at once by giving them a power bar on
their desk.
Dont know? Conduct an audit to determine how many employees have power bars on their
desks, how many dont, and how many are using them to switch off equipment at the end of
the day. Many employees fail to switch off devices at the end of the day, thinking that each
device such as a monitor or notebook uses very little power in sleep mode. While this is true, if
you combine the total usage of power used by the device even when the device is not active,
called phantom power, there still is an impact. Here is how to solve the phantom power issue:
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1. Educate employees.
2. Make it easy for them to switch everything off at once by giving them a power bar on
their desk.

Q11: Do you have Skype/video conferencing/phone conference lines?

You answered YES. Great start!
You answered NO. Enabling collaboration from remote and multiple locations is fairly simple.
Establishing a conference call system ahead of time combined with low-end video
conferencing can be very effective.
Dont know? Enabling collaboration from remote and multiple locations is fairly simple.
Establishing a conference call system ahead of time combined with low-end video
conferencing can be very effective.

Q12: Do you have webcasting/desktop sharing programs?

You answered YES. Great! Desktop sharing programs allow all parties to see the work in real
time and enable effective collaboration when working offsite.
You answered NO. For effective collaboration when working remotely, consider inquiring
about desktop sharing programs that allow all parties to see the work in real time.
Dont know? For effective collaboration when working remotely, consider inquiring about
desktop sharing programs that allow all parties to see the work in real time.

Q13: Do you have commuter ride share programs?

You answered YES. Fantastic!
You answered NO. There are a number of global ride sharing programs that you can review for
inspiration, such as Sustainmobility, which is located in the Greater Toronto area. They provide
services such as computerized systems to find a car pool, fun events, and competitions to
encourage people to share. They help to manage issues such as privacy and emergency ride
home programs that make it easy for employers and employees to use the systems. Other
schemes such as Lift share and Carpooling in the UK can be a good idea for traveling for long
distances.

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Dont know? There are a number of global ride sharing programs that you can review for
inspiration, such as Sustainmobility, which is located in the Greater Toronto area. They provide
services such as computerized systems to find a car pool, fun events, and competitions to
encourage people to share. They help to manage issues such as privacy and emergency ride
home programs that make it easy for employers and employees to make the most of this.
Other schemes such as Lift share and Carpooling in the UK can be a good idea for traveling for
long distances.

Q14: For the tools and programs above, do employees know:

How to access them?

How to use them?
Are they motivated to use them?

You answered YES. Great work! Here are a few of our tips for getting buy-in from employees:

Communicate before and after, demonstrating the savings or ease of use.

Seek a leader to use the tools and programs and model to other employees
Offer convenient training or quick tips.
Monitor usagecontinuing to encourage peer-to-peer use and training.
Celebrate savings!

You answered NO. Many companies find that simply buying and installing the newer
technologies does not mean that employees will use them. Here are a few tips for getting buyin:

Communicate before and after, demonstrating the savings or ease of use.

Seek a leader to use the technologies and model to other employees.
Offer convenient training or quick tips.
Monitor usagecontinuing to encourage peer-to-peer use and training.
Celebrate savings!

Dont know? Here are a few tips for getting buy-in:

Communicate before and after, demonstrating the savings or ease of use.

Seek a leader to use the technologies and model to other employees.
Offer convenient training or quick tips.
Monitor usagecontinuing to encourage peer-to-peer use and training.
Celebrate savings!

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Q15: Do you track how much these tools and programs are used and celebrate the savings?
You answered YES. Wonderful! As with all sustainability programs, measurement is key. The
savings can be shown in a corporate social responsibility (CSR) report. If you are looking for
help in writing your first report, WWF-Canada and HP Canada run a yearly competition called
Change the Equation to help you do this. We invite you to take advantage of this program.
Learn more.
You answered NO. As with all sustainability programs, measurement is key. The savings can
be shown in a corporate social responsibility (CSR) report. If you are looking for help in writing
your first report, WWF-Canada and HP Canada run a yearly competition called Change the
Equation to help you do this. We invite you to take advantage of these programs. Learn more.
Dont know? As with all sustainability programs, measurement is key. The savings can be
shown in a corporate social responsibility (CSR) report. If you are looking for help in writing
your first report, WWF-Canada and HP Canada run a yearly competition called Change the
Equation to help you do this. We invite you to take advantage of these programs. Learn more.

Q16: Do you have IT tools and policies that let you avoid travel where possible, such as
phone and Internet policies to allow working from home?
You answered YES. Great! Check out more information:

Conducting a workplace travel audit (scroll down to see the resources)

Ride share program: Sustainmobility
Whats My Carbon Footprint?

Also:
-

Cars and renewable fuels: Before buying a new or used vehicle, check out the EPA
green buying guide. Highly fuel-efficient cars, hybrids, and vehicles that use cleaner
alternative fuels help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Click here to find another
source for fuel economy ratings.
Flights: For business travel, consider whether a phone or video conference will get the
job done. While flying emits less carbon per mile traveled than driving, the distances
traveled usually translate to greater emissions overall. When you do need to fly, longer

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flight segments emit less carbon per mile than shorter flights. The reason? Elevated
carbon emissions during takeoff and landing are the same whether you are traveling
250 miles or 2,500 miles.

You answered NO. IT tools that help you avoid travel include:

Skype/telephone/cell phones
Desktop sharing programs like Microsoft Lync
Video conferencing such as Cisco Telepresence, WebEx, HP Virtual Classroom, etc.
Ride share programs such as Sustainmobility

To allow employees to work from home, often you will need a combination of Human
Resources/senior management and IT to work on a set of policies and other tools to facilitate
the program. Many offices do it informally, but some managers are not comfortable having
employees working in a different location and may be concerned with data privacy.
Technology can help by ensuring employees are easily reachable.
Here is a list of policies and incentives that encourage or enable employees to reduce their
commuting/travel:

Work from home policy

Flexible hours policy
Preferred parking/free parking for ride share
Secure bicycle parking/showers
Subsidized public transit/paid parking to discourage driving
Restricted business travel
Fleet policies: electric/hybrid vehicles
Car rental policies that require use of hybrid vehicles

Also:

Cars and renewable fuels

Before buying a new or used vehicle, check out the EPA green buying guide. Highly fuelefficient cars, hybrids, and vehicles that use cleaner alternative fuels help reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. Click here to find another source for fuel economy ratings.
Flights
For business travel, consider whether a phone or video conference will get the job
done. While flying emits less carbon per mile traveled than driving, the distances
traveled usually translate to greater emissions overall. When you do need to fly, longer
flight segments emit less carbon per mile than shorter flights. The reason? Elevated

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carbon emissions during takeoff and landing are the same whether you are traveling
250 miles or 2,500 miles.
Learn more at Whats My Carbon Footprint?

Dont know? Do some digging to identify if you have IT tools that enable you to avoid travel.
These include:

Skype/telephone/cell phones
Desktop sharing programs like Microsoft Lync
Video conferencing such as Cisco Telepresence, WebEx, HP Virtual Classroom, etc.
Ride share programs such as Sustainmobility

Here is a list of the policies/incentives that encourage or enable employees to reduce their
commuting/travel:

Work from home policy

Flexible hours policy
Preferred parking/free parking for ride share
Secure bicycle parking/showers
Subsidized public transit/paid parking to discourage driving
Restricted business travel
Fleet policies: electric/hybrid vehicles
Car rental policies such as requiring hybrid vehicles

To help you track your employee and business travel and savings, conduct a travel audit using
these Living Planet @ Work tools (scroll down to view resources).
Also:

Cars and renewable fuels

Before buying a new or used vehicle, check out the EPA green buying guide. Highly fuelefficient cars, hybrids, and vehicles that use cleaner alternative fuels help reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. Click here to find another source for fuel economy ratings.
Flights
For business travel, consider whether a phone or video conference will get the job
done. While flying emits less carbon per mile traveled than driving, the distances
traveled usually translate to greater emissions overall. When you do need to fly, longer
flight segments emit less carbon per mile than shorter flights. The reason? Elevated
carbon emissions during takeoff and landing are the same whether you are traveling
250 miles or 2,500 miles.

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Learn more at Whats My Carbon Footprint?

Q17: Do you have portabable heaters/air conditioning units within your business?
You answered YES. You should count how many you have in your business, and also check
whether they are left on during weekend or long holidays. Portable air conditioners and
heaters can take as much energy as 10 computers when they are turned on. The less these are
used, the more energy and cost you can save. Engaging your employees to understand their
usage of these portable units can put extra costs on your business
You answered NO. Wonderful.
Dont know? You should go around your business and check whether you have any of these
units. Check if they are hidden between the cabinets, desks, etc. Portable air conditioners and
heaters can take as much energy as 10 computers when they are turned on. The less these are
used, the more energy and cost you can save. Engaging your employees to understand their
usage of these portable units can put extra costs on your business

Q18: Do you have obstruction in front of the heaters/air conditioning vents?

You answered YES. You will want to have enough space for all the heating/air conditioning
units so that there can be better air circulation and better usage of energy. Blocking the
radiators/air conditioning vents will require more time to heat/cool the area, using more
energy and increasing costs.
You answered NO. Good job!
Dont know? Have a look around your business and check whether and why the
radiators/vents are blocked. Consider rearranging the room to allow the air to circulate and
reach the desired temperature faster.
Q19: Do you have any drafts coming from windows/doors?
You answered YES. Having drafts from windows/doors can cause you to lose heating or air
conditioning. This will require using more energy to reach the desired temperature again. If
there is a draft, check if you can use an adhesive or a seal to block the gaps on the
door/window frames. Check that doors/windows do not have gaps between the frames or
floor. You may need to add metal or plastic strips.
You answered NO. Good job!
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Dont know? You can go around your business and check for any cracks or gaps between the
doors, windows, and walls. Also check if there are any gaps around pipework for air vents or
heating systems in your building. If you can feel cold or hot air from the weather outside
coming through when you put your hand next to these gaps, then these gaps need to be filled
and closed to prevent the loss of heating or air conditioning in your business.

Q20: Do you use energy-saving light bulbs?

You answered YES. Great work!
You answered NO. Energy-saving LED light bulbs (which use 240 watts) usually use 50
percent less energy than normal halogen bulbs (40100 watts). Energy-saving light bulbs
have a longer lifetime (up to 50,000 hours) than normal halogen ones. That will not only save
energy but also money for your business.
Dont know? Have a look around and check what light bulbs you have. Check your fluorescent
tubes as well. If they are thick, they are most likely the older T12 models, which use more
energy. Most energy-saving light bulbs will display the amount of energy they use in watts.

Q21: Do you switch off the lights in areas not in use?

You answered YES. Great work!
You answered NO. Switching off the lights in areas that are not in use will not only save energy
but also reduce your energy bills. One possible solution is to install motion sensors that can
automatically switch off lights when no one is there.
Dont know? Go around your business after normal working hours and check if there are any
lights still switched on. Try to go around during off days or weekends. Check areas that many
of the employees may forget about, such as bathrooms, copy rooms, storage rooms, etc., and
inform everyone in your business of the importance of switching off lights to save energy and
reduce costs.

Q22: Is there any part of your business where daylight can replace electric lights?

You answered YES. Well done!

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You answered NO. Check with your employees whether the current lighting is necessary for
the business and the work carried out. Highlight the fact that reducing lighting also reduces
the energy used and the cost for the business.
Dont know? Check if there is a need for the lighting. Check if it is possible to use light that
comes through windows/spotlights during daytime to reduce energy use.

Q23: Do you have any sensor to switch off lights when not in use?
You answered YES. Great job!
You answered NO. Check if you can install a motion sensor to switch off the lights when rooms
are not in use. Check the daily use of different locations in your business, such as meeting
rooms, stairwells, storerooms, bathrooms, etc.; check when and how many times these are
used and try to install sensors in areas that are least used. Spaces where one or more people
may be moving in and out throughout the course of the workday are not good places for
installing these sensors.
Dont know? Check if lights switch off automatically after a certain period of time. Usually
these sensors are installed in areas that are often not used, such as warehouses, bathrooms,
and stairwells. The sensors will be located on the ceiling near the entrance of rooms.

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