If you run an office of any size, you might have noticed your heating bill going up over the last few months. In fact, we would be amazed if you hadn’t! Every business in the UK is feeling the pinch of rising energy costs, and we’re all looking for ways to maximise the heat we do pay for. And since working in cold office is bad for morale, for health and for your business, we wanted to help with some heating tips. These tips are designed for bigger office spaces, but they work just as well on small ones too!
Understand Your Heating Systems
Warm air heating systems, i.e. heat pumps, were traditionally used for large spaces such as factories and warehouses. However, buildings with large roof spaces can see heat trapped in the rafters with these traditional systems, leaving the people working at ground-level cold. Destratification can be used to help this problem, which recirculates the warm air in your building, but this may not be the most efficient system for a building with high ceilings and open rafters.
Radiant heating on the other hand, does not heat the air but instead uses infrared technology to heat people and objects it comes into contact with. This may be suited to spot-heating in large spaces rather than attempting to heat the entirety of the space. The best way to understand how your building affects the type of system you should install is to seek the advice of a professional.
Air Rotation
Circulating the air in your offices ensures that the hot air doesn’t just rise to the ceilings and stay there. Instead, it’s moved around the room to keep the ambient temperature warm. This is called air rotation, and typically uses high-powered fans to move the air around. This saves you money by optimising the performance of your existing units. Depending on the size of your building you might already have a unit installed, or you may wish to have one retrofitted.
Harness The Sun
The sun is the most reliable source of heat there is, and while we might not see it as much at this time of year, you can still use it effectively. If you’re lucky enough to have windows that the sun shines on, make sure any curtains or blinds are open and allow it to shine in. Once it starts to get dark or cloudy, close the blinds to keep that warmth in the office.
Draft Exclusions
It may seem silly, but often the simplest solutions are the most effective. And there’s little point in investing time and effort into high-performance HVAC and heat circulation if it can all easily escape! Aside from the obvious (ensuring all windows and doors are closed), invest some time and money in proper seals on the windows for long term savings. Use blinds and curtains to stop drafts sneaking in, and place draft excluders along the gaps at the bottom of your doors to really seal the heat in. It’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference!
Set Your Thermostat Properly
Thanks to the revolutionary invention of the thermostat, you have the ability to control the temperature of even the largest spaces. But you need to use them properly to get the full effect. If a building is allowed to get too cold, people tend to turn the heating up so high that before you know it, you want to turn on the air con! Which just wastes money in the long run. Instead, set a constant temperature on your thermostat that doesn’t need to be fiddled with, and let the heating system do its work.
Use Timers
Most heating installations these days will allow you to use a timer to control when your system turns on and off without you necessarily having to be in the building. For a large space, which will take longer to heat, you can utilize the timer to ensure the heating comes on and warms the building before staff arrive and turn it off once they are gone without the need to leave it on all night.
If you’re struggling to heat your space, there could be a fault with your HVAC systems. It’s always worth getting them checked and having regular maintenance work to ensure they’re working efficiently and effectively – and not costing you money! If you’re concerned about your HVAC system, we’d be happy to help. Just get in touch with the team today to find out more.
