December 8th 2022
Over the last few years, people have grown accustomed to working from home due to the pandemic. While this was a viable solution in times of great uncertainty, with the rise in cost of living in the UK, it seems as if many workers are now utilising their office spaces more readily to combat soaring bills.
Knowing that you’re saving money by not being at home can be a huge boost to mental wellbeing, as well as being in the right environment to get your work done. It’s easy to become complacent at home during the colder part of the year, when you just want to curl up with a hot chocolate and watch your favourite Christmas movies. So, to ensure you’re hitting those deadlines, get into the office to really hone your focus.
Today, we’re going to discuss how using your office space during the winter months can help to cut costs at home, by using all of the amenities the office provides, at no extra cost to you at all.
What Do We Mean By ‘Cost of Living’?
When we say, ‘cost of living’, it’s an economic term that we’re sure that everyone has heard thrown about in recent months. In its most basic definition, it’s the amount of money needed to run a functioning household, inclusive of bills and food costs, as well as rent, mortgage and car payments. It’s the cost to you to be able to live your life.
This cost has steadily been going up, and many people have been finding it difficult to manage the rise. With salaries not increasing enough to match inflation, and food and fuel costs getting out of control, it’s only natural to want to find ways to cut back without sacrificing too much.
This is why we suggest utilising your office over winter to save money. So, how exactly does working in the office help that?
How to Cut Costs by Going into the Office
There are many different office types you can rent nowadays, from the standard serviced office to a co-working space or hot desking. The wide range of options gives you the opportunity to not only find one close to home to cut down on commuting time, but also one that allows you to make critical savings by taking advantage of the facilities on offer.
Let’s explore how you can save by using the office in Winter.
Energy Bills
First and foremost, household bills are the main worry for many working people across the country. This is especially true if you don’t live alone. Multiple people in a household means more electricity, heating and water needs to be used daily. Even if you do live alone, those working hours that you’re out of the house will drastically cut down your outgoings on standard bills. That’s up to 12 hours a day with no water and heating being used at all. That’s because you’re able to sit in a heated office using the electricity there instead. It would be wise to understand the cost of renting an office compared to skyrocketing utility bills, because the difference might just be striking.
Utilising Office Perks and Utilities
Many offices across the country will have facilities that its occupants can make use of daily and are all included in the rental price.
From showers and toilets to Wi-Fi, printing and general office needs such as stationery and paper, an office space usually comes equipped with everything you need for your working day. During the cost-of-living crisis, many people are finding savvy ways of saving, such as using the shower at the gym instead of at home, and many offices can provide similar facilities, which means making use of them is a no-brainer when trying to save on your household bills.
Having access to free Wi-Fi in the office means you can turn your router off until you get home, as electrical devices in stand-by mode (or not being used at all – but still plugged in) are also a culprit for a higher-than-expected electric bill each month.
Food and Drink
Offices will almost always have a kitchen/break room for you to use. Why not forego that morning cup of coffee until you get into the office? Boiling the kettle throughout the day at home can add up over time, as can popping something in the oven for lunch. We suggest taking your food into work and using the facilities there to make (or cook) your lunch.
With access to a kitchen, you also have unlimited access to drinking water too, so grab your reusable bottle and keep it topped up throughout the workday – at no extra cost to you.
Some office spaces may even offer a breakfast or lunch service within the building, which will save you money on buying your lunches and taking them in too!
What Should Employers Do to Help Employees?
If you are an employer, there are also things you can do to help ease the cost-of-living burden affecting your workers. For example, you could send out a company-wide email explaining what we’ve discussed here today, and how they can benefit financially from working in the office more often. As well as this, express how cultivating a positive company or office culture can really help their mental health during money-squeezing, difficult times.
Always make sure to have health and wellbeing services accessible to all employees, as some people may suffer in silence. Give them somewhere to go to air their grievances during hard times.
Last of all, as an employer, you may be able to help your employees financially during a cost-of-living crisis. This could come in the form of bonuses for hard work, or simply a small pay rise. Think of this as an investment into the health of your workforce, as it’ll help them come into work each day willing to work hard.
Financial struggles are inevitable for so many during a cost-of-living crisis, but we hope that we’ve convinced you that working out of the office during the Winter months could really help to lower your household bills, as well as give you a small mental boost to get you through these trying times.
If you’ve decided to take our advice and want to explore your options, head over and look at our serviced offices and managed office spaces today, to find the perfect office in your area. If you’re a solo worker, then check out our co-working offices and hot-desking opportunities too!
