It comes straight off the bottom line and to add insult to injury allows the energy giants to make even more profit from you. And sign-makers do not have the luxury of being able to add ten percent to all your customers bills, as gas and electricity firms do.

There are some obvious basic tips that most people do at home to save heat and power, which are easily implemented at work. Plus they could knock the equivalent of a pallet of paper or two off your overheads this winter. Energy company npower have released YouTube videos that are worth a look, with real-life examples showing the best ways to reduce costs.
 
Firstly, check heating time clocks have been adjusted to reflect Greenwich Mean Time and are only on when the business is open—especially when you shut up shop for ten days over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. According to utility company npower, turning heating off when the business is closed, for example at weekends, could save nearly 30 percent in costs.

Also make sure your boiler has been serviced and is running effectively, as it will will add serious money to your bill. The working environment should be 19C, but if you set the temperature one degree above this you could be adding five percent to your heating bill this winter.

Lighting is another area to look at. Lights often go on first thing in the morning and stay on until the last person leaves. Upgrading lighting to energy efficient versions is an investment and will repay the outlay in time, as they use up to 80 percent less than old-school lighting. And clearly, insulating your offices and print rooms will repay the investment.

One slightly off-the-wall tip is to appoint someone in your staff as an energy champion or officer as you would a fire officer. Their task is to gently remind members of staff to close down computers at the end of the day, switch off lights, and keep doors and windows shut.