Apart from electric vehicle charging, the single largest source of energy consumption in most office buildings is heating and cooling. And like many domestic homes, the typical small or medium-sized office isn’t blessed with the latest in climate control. Instead, you’ll often find a wet radiator gas central heating system, efficient enough in its day, but far from optimal by today’s energy and carbon standards.
That’s changing. Increasingly, we’re seeing office spaces with a mixture of old and new, retrofitted wall-mounted air conditioning units mixed in with legacy radiators, often installed in a bit of a hurry and managed haphazardly. So, how can businesses make sense of this patchwork of climate control, and save money and emissions while keeping staff comfortable? It’s time to get smart.
Smart Thermostats Are Smart Business
Modern smart thermostats allow hour-by-hour temperature control, right from your phone or computer. You can tailor heating (or cooling) to your actual office hours, ensuring systems aren’t blasting away energy when nobody’s around.
For example, if your office closes at 5pm, you don’t need to maintain 21°C right up to the bell. Heating can probably be turned off at 3:30 or 4pm, most well-insulated spaces will retain enough warmth for staff to stay comfortable until they head out.
Similarly, think twice before firing up the heating system at 6am when the first person doesn’t arrive until 8:30. A shorter preheat period may well do the trick.
Use Temperature Sensors to Map the Office heating Climate
Not every part of your office is equally warm, or equally cold. Wall-mounted temperature sensors are cheap, widely available online, and invaluable for understanding the actual thermal experience of your staff.
Move them around. Build a heat map of your space. You’ll quickly find those warm pockets near radiators or sunlit windows, and the cooler corners that rarely see a draft of warm air.
Match People to Places
You’ll never make everyone happy with the office heating temperature. Some people will insist the heating’s never high enough. Others will open a window in mid-January.
Use that thermal map to your advantage:
- The “hot house flowers”, staff who love the heat, can be seated near radiators or warmer zones.
- The “polar bears”, those who prefer cooler climes, can work in the naturally cooler parts of the office.
This isn’t just about comfort. It reduces the pressure to overheat or overcool the entire building to satisfy a vocal few.
Set Schedules for Seasons and Special Days
It sounds obvious, but many businesses run their office heating and cooling systems on fixed daily timers, forgetting to adjust for:
- Summer/winter variations
- Weekends and bank holidays
- Seasonal working patterns or remote working days
A five-minute adjustment in your smart thermostat app can save a five-figure energy bill over a year, while cutting carbon emissions meaningfully.
Every Degree Counts
Reducing your office heating setpoint temperature by just 1°C can cut your heating bill by up to 10%. That’s a huge win for very little sacrifice, especially when combined with better zoning, scheduling, and sensor-informed decisions.
The Bottom Line
Most offices are still running heating and cooling systems the old-fashioned way: full blast, all day, regardless of occupancy or weather. But with just a little thought, and some affordable tech, you can fine-tune your climate control for real-world conditions, staff comfort, and serious savings.
Smart heating is not a luxury. It’s just smart business.
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