How to consume less electricity while working remotely?

Among the many measures put in place at the end of December to try to stop the fifth wave of the Covid virus in France, Prime Minister Jean Castix notably announced the extension of remote work. Thus, the use of remote work has become mandatory from January 3, 2022 for “all employees where possible”, at a rate of three or four days a week, for a period of at least three weeks. A style of work that appeals to some French, but annoys others, telecommuting logically has an impact on the electricity consumption of individuals. EDF research and development teams estimated between 5 and 7% the increase in electricity consumption in France per household during the first confinement period that led to the remote work of nearly eight million people in the spring of 2020.

Improve lighting

While some companies help their workers financially, the employer is no longer obligated to bear the costs resulting from the practice of remote work by their employees since the amendment of the labor law dating back to 2017. So the solution is to reduce consumption, both for a question of the budget, but Also to protect the environment. Lighting, heating and electronic devices, these three accelerators of energy consumption can be reduced by adopting some habits.

Regarding lighting, the first tip is to use daylight as much as possible. To do this, you should position your desk so that it receives the maximum amount of light, but without the sun hitting the screen directly. This avoids unpleasant light reflections, sometimes harmful to the eyes. When the sun goes down, the lighting should be as direct as possible, for example through a small desk lamp. For people who haven’t done so yet, it’s also beneficial to switch to LED lights that last longer and reduce electricity consumption compared to other types of bulbs.

Reduce the consumption of work equipment

It is also possible to improve the power consumption of work tools used in the home, which are often computers. In terms of computers, you must first know that the portable model consumes much less than a stationary PC or Mac (up to 80% less kWh on average).

However, the total energy consumption also depends a lot on the behavior of the remote worker. A laptop that is constantly plugged in increases your electric bill for nothing. Lorsque cela est possible, il est préférable de donner à son laptop un cycle de charge pendant la pause déjeuner et un autre le soir à la fin de la journée de travail, pour pouvoir l’utiliser entre-temps sur les deux demi-journées de Action. This also avoids leaving the computer in standby mode during lunch or at night, when standby is still a source of power consumption. When the computer is not used at all, neither for work nor for charging, it is absolutely necessary to unplug it. Same for the internet box which doesn’t need to remain running when the worker is asleep. In the same way, other computers in use, such as scanners or printers, should remain closed and even unplugged, as long as the remote worker is not using them. There is also no need to raise the brightness of the entire computer screen when it is not needed.

Reduce heating or air conditioning

Electricity consumption due to heating or air conditioning depends on the nervousness of each person. But there is still a way to reduce your bill by dressing the right way. In winter, for example, even the coldest people can take their warm clothes out of the wardrobe. In remote work, it is possible to wear thick woolen socks and very comfortable slippers without being seen by colleagues. According to numbers from againThat the environment and energy management (Ademe) captured by EDF, lowering the thermostat by 1 degree allows 5-10% energy savings.

In the summer, the consumption of air conditioners, fans, and other coolants can be a problem. Again, it is possible to reduce the use of these machines by wearing appropriate clothing, for example in shorts and shirts. In general, it is important to buy appliances that consume as little as possible and maintain them well, but also to live in a house or apartment that is well insulated for the winter and well ventilated during the summer. according to Figures provided by EDFInsulation for example allows for up to 5 degrees of indoor temperature in winter, saving nearly 20% on your energy bill.

(writing agency hREF)