Sustainable Summer Series: Saving Energy at Home

As an emerging topic in the modern corporate world, Environmental, Social and Governance (or ESG) covers a wide variety of socio-economic issues that measure the sustainability and societal impact of businesses.

At Protiviti, we recognize the importance of delivering on ESG as one of our key priorities. As we continue to reduce our environmental footprint and reaffirm our commitment to our people and communities, we dedicate our firm to making a positive impact. Additionally, through our sustainability consulting solution, we are able to amplify our impact by helping our clients imbed ESG considerations throughout their business.

We recognize that no action is too small, and we can all make small changes to help protect our environment. To help people identify some of these changes, we are introducing this summer blog series on how to make more sustainable choices, starting with easy energy efficiency measures you can implement at home!

Seal window leaks. Air leaking through space around windows and doors accounts for an estimated 30% of energy used to heat and cool buildings[1]. Weatherstripping tape or other materials can help reduce the amount of air moving in or out of your home, allowing heating and cooling to be more energy and cost-efficient.
Reduce standby power use. Any device plugged into your wall is drawing a small amount of energy, referred to as standby power, when off. This accounts up to 10% of residential energy use[2]. To eliminate this, use a power strip and its off switch, or simply unplugging devices when not in use.
Use ceiling fans to save on energy in both warm and cool months. In warm months, you can increase your thermostat by up to 4 degrees (F) while still staying comfortable by setting your fan to spin counterclockwise at a high speed, so blades push cool air downward[3]. In colder months, switch fan blades to spin clockwise, at a lower setting, to pull cool air upward, displacing warm air that has collected near your ceiling, making the room feel warmer with less reliance on heating and saving up to 15% on heating[4]. (Remember to turn the fan off when you leave the room!)
Program your thermostat to heat/cool on your schedule. In addition to using ceiling fans, setting up your thermostat to reduce the temperature adjustment between inside and outside at night or while you are out of the house can conserve unnecessary energy usage while you’re away or sleeping.
Adjust your appliance settings. Minor tweaks to your energy-intensive household appliances can help you save both energy and money. Only running washing machines and dishwashers when full, using cold water, shortening cycle times, and avoiding heated drying will reduce energy usage for these items considerably. Additionally, program these appliances to run during off-peak hours to reduce energy usage when it’s most expensive.

Learn More

For more information about sustainability efforts across our enterprise, visit Protiviti’s Environmental, Social & Governance page.

You can also read our recent Earth Day article that talks more about ESG at Protiviti and shares insights from our people.

[1] https://news.mit.edu/2020/preventing-energy-loss-through-windows-0106

[2] https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/articles/3-easy-tips-reduce-your-standby-power-loads

[3] https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/fans-cooling

[4] https://saveonenergy.ca/For-Your-Home/Advice-and-Tips/Seasonal-ceiling-fan-direction#:~:text=Using%20a%20ceiling%20fan%20in,save%20on%20your%20heating%20costs.

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