Working and studying from home can have plenty of perks. You can have control over your new “office” space, pick your own dress code, and cut your commute — it’s not hard to imagine why many love working and studying from home. However, it’s also not hard to think of the many negatives that may come with working and studying from home, such as becoming your very own IT department to solve in-house internet issues and seeing your utility bills spike with increased time at home.
Seeing a utility bill increase is not an unexpected change to come with working and studying from home. It makes sense. The around 8 hours you typically spend working outside, using someone else’s utilities (at your office, campus, local cafe), is now spent at home as you turn your home into your very own campus or office. However, the increased utility change is likely not a welcome change. With many still working and studying for home indefinitely, you may be wondering how you can start making changes to save on bills. Check out these tips on different ways you can save on bills while working and schooling from home.
1. Identify and Control “Vampire Appliances”
“Vampire appliances” are everyday appliances that suck electricity even when they’re not in use. As long as you keep them plugged in, they are taking up energy and contributing to your electricity bill.
• Coffee makers (anything that runs on a clock that you program)
• Video game chargers and console plugs
• Cell phone and laptop chargers
• TVs
• Stereos
If you’re not using them, simply leave them unplugged. An easy fix is keeping things like phone and computer chargers next to electrical outlets and only leave them plugged in while they are in use. Some appliances may not be so easy to plug and unplug every time you need to use them. For example, your TV, video game consoles, etc. may be wired into places that are inconvenient to reach most of the time. Try plugging them into a power strip with an extension cord, making it easy to simply switch the power cord and on and off in between your TV sessions.
A power strip can also be a lifesaver when it comes to organizing your work station. Use a power strip to power your work station — monitors, laptop chargers, phone chargers, printers — and you can simply switch it on and off at the beginning and end of every workday.
2. Change Your Lighting and Wardrobe
Depending on where you decide to set up your work station, your lighting situation may rely entirely on artificial lighting or not need it at all. If you are working primarily through the day, when the sun is out, try opening any of the windows of the room that you are working in. Natural light can not only boost your mood, but it can also help you turn off your lights and give your electricity a break.
When it comes to temperature, you might find yourself missing the constant chill of AC in your regular office. While you may try to replicate that office chill in your own home as you work or study, it’s likely causing that undesired spike in your bills every month.
However, you might consider not being strict about what the exact temperature you set your thermostat is. One of the many perks of working from home is that you are in charge of your work and study from home dress code — you can huddle in a blanket if it’s cold, or shed layers if it’s cold. Just remember to be camera-ready when it comes to video calls for meetings or class.
3. Remember to Unplug
While unplugging your vampire appliances is an easy way to reduce your increased bills, you can also plan to unplug throughout the day to save. Keeping your laptop plugged in at the office may have been the norm. Keeping it plugged in at your desk ensured it was at full-charge whenever you had to take it on the go to a meeting or off-site. However, keeping up that habit while you work and study and home can be costly.
Try to charge your device when it actually needs it. When it reaches a full battery, unplug your charger from your laptop (and the outlet). If you think you’ll forget try to plan out unplugging with regular breaks — when you break for lunch, a quick walk outside, and so on. This way, your laptop isn’t sucking away energy it doesn’t necessarily need.
Unplugging your laptop and phone when it’s already at full battery will also keep your battery healthy. Keeping at full charge can cause the battery to wear down faster, so intentionally unplugging can also help you out in the longterm.
While these changes may not happen easily, or happen overnight, you can mindfully transition into these changes. By taking on these changes slowly, you can adopt them into your overall routine and shape a future of decreased bills. Remember — working and studying from home may increase some of your bills, but can cause savings in other areas, such as gas in commuting or bills from eating out. Don’t stress yourself out!
Equal Housing Opportunity
