Green is in and it might be time to take inventory of your properties to see where you can utilize a little green technology in the way of energy saving measures. Even though corporations across the U.S. are going green, many property managers have yet to do so. We need to realize that even a small change can quickly add up to a significant savings on energy and at the same time lower utility bills. A typical response might be, “I don’t use that much energy,” but you should take a look at how much energy you actually use by using the Carbon Footprint Calculator. When you enter your daily usage, it will give you an estimate of the energy you actually use.
Here are some ways that you can conserve energy in your property management business now:
- Appliances: Unplug them if they are not in use. Devices continue to use electricity even when they’re turned off.
- Computer: Turn if off at night – it just takes a minute. Over a fourth of computers used in the U.S. are left on overnight.
- Thermostat: Adjust it a few degrees up during the summer and down in the winter. This can drastically reduce your utility bills.
- Paperwork: Reduce it by utilizing document management software instead of filing paper work. This will help eliminate those mountains of contracts.
- Recycle: We all drink sodas and water from plastic bottles so take a few minutes to rinse and recycle.
- Food: Reduce the amount of paper plates and plastic cups you use by bringing real cups and plates to the office.
- Devices: Replace devices that drain power with newer models that are energy efficient. Since newer devices like printers, desktop systems and laptops do not produce as much heat you’ll save energy and be much cooler.
- Payments: Implement a system where your tenants can pay their rent online. This will help you eliminate making that bank run to deposit checks every day. Accepting electronic checks and credit cards will also help with time management.
- Water: By installing low-flow toilets and low-flow shower devices, you can cut down on the amount of water usage.
