Since there is a growing trend for self-employment working from home or remote work with a corporation, more workers are using more power from their home, rather than the office. That additional power use tends to show up on their monthly power bills.

We often talk about energy saving tips for companies who house employees Monday to Friday. However, what about the workers at home – what can they do to save energy and save money?

Global Resources Reviews has six tips to help those who work from home save energy every day and, ultimately, save on their power bills.

Invest in LED Light Bulbs

LED light bulbs are the way to go. They consume less power than any other light bulb on the market. They are designed to not only use around 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs (the traditional bulb favored before LED lights became popular), but they can also last up to 25 times longer.

If you switched out every light in your house with an LED bulb, especially in your office, you’d eventually see savings on your monthly power bill. Plus, you’re using less power, which is better for the environment.

Install Energy Efficient Devices and Appliances

Since you’ll use everything in your home more often if you work from there, it’s a good idea to invest in energy-efficient devices, equipment, and appliances. Although the initial investment is typically higher than non-energy efficient options, the savings, in the long run, make them worthwhile.

Use Power Saving Modes

Smart devices (phones, tablets, and computers) have power saving options available. When you switch to this mode, your device will consume less power. Also, power saver mode can restrict access to certain aspects of the device that consume a significant amount of power, which can come in handy to reduce distractions.

Invest in a Power Strip

When you have a device plugged in and turned off, that doesn’t mean it stopped using power. A power strip helps fix this problem and will save you time in the morning. At the end of the day (or when you’re done working), switch the power strip on, and it will cut the power to the device.

Use a Space Heater if Cold

Whenever you get cold in your house, you likely turn up the thermostat to warm the place up. The downfall is that you’re warming up the entire house, which means you’re using more power. Instead, have a space heater for your office. You can switch it on when you’re cold, and it will only warm up your office. Also, have a blanket handy as well.

Use Sleep Mode With Your Computer

Your computer likely has a sleep mode option. When activated, your computer will reduce power consumption by putting the device to sleep (it is still on, however). Use these guidelines to help determine when to use sleep mode:

• When you leave your computer for roughly 20 minutes, have your computer automatically switch to sleep mode.
• If you’re away for over an hour, have the computer turn off the monitor while entering sleep mode.
• For a full day away, have sleep mode completely shut down the device.

Although you likely won’t see significant savings right at the start, many of these changes will gradually save you money in the long-run.