During hot months, keep windows coverings closed on the south east and west windows. In winter let the sun in.

In summer use fans wherever possible instead of Air Conditioning (AC), and ventilate at night this way when practical. Using fans with AC allows you to raise the thermostat temperature, using less energy. Fans cost less than AC.

Encourage staff to dress appropriately for weather. Short sleeve shirts in winter will obviously feel cold. Sweaters obviously keep you warmer and save the environment allowing the heating to be turned down.

Unlike other prime business costs, managers can only determine the unit price paid of energy and not the volume used. Volume used is determined by the actions of all staff. The only way to manage volume is to motivate staff to save energy. Find your energy champion and make then accountable for driving good energy behaviours.
Remember Gaia can be managed by any member of staff.

Many companies invest in trendy plasma screens for their receptions that cycle standard presentations selling the virtues of their company. But consider this: On average a traditional cathode ray tube television uses 100 watts of power when in use and 2 watts on standby. Newer LCD and plasma screens are higher users of energy, with the largest models consuming up to 400 watts when in use and 4 watts on standby. Save £90 per year by avoiding energy hungry plasma screens.

It is not always practical to turn on and off the computer during the day, but if you're leaving the desk for lunch or a long meeting - do so. Would to leave your TV on at home all day whilst not watching it, so why the PC or laptop? Peripherals such as printers or scanners should also be turned off when not in use.

Our summer holidays in far away lands encourage us to enjoy the warmth and we like to maintain this luxury in our workplaces back in Britain. Be realistic. The ideal work temperature is 19ºC! By turning the thermostat down by 1ºC can cut more than 10% from the average central heating bill.

If chargers for devices such as mobiles, MP3 players were unplugged when not in use it would save enough electricity each year to power 115,000 homes. If a charger feels warm when it is plugged in without being attached to a device it is still converting energy.

Turn the vending machines off at night, it will save £50 per year . Or if it makes life easier put a timer clock on it.

For all new customers Gaia provides a free energy evaluation. By reviewing your energy consumption profile and details of your current meters we can advise you of the best energy saving solutions.