Install programmable thermostats for better control of heating and air conditioning and save roughly one-fifth on your heating/cooling costs.

Seal off unused areas and reduce or eliminate heating and cooling in these spaces. Storage rooms, warehouses, and unoccupied areas are potential ‘energy vampires’.

Reduce your heating load. Keep exterior doors closed. Also, pull curtains, shades, and blinds at night to retain heat and open on clear days to take advantage of heat from the sun.

Perform routine and regular maintenance on mechanical equipment and your building. Inspect and patch leaks, clean or replace air filters, check fan belts, lubricate motors, pumps and fans, clean condenser coils, and make sure refrigeration seals are airtight.

 Well maintained equipment runs much more efficiently, reducing energy costs and extending the life of the equipment.

Lower the temperature on your water heater. 120 degrees is recommended for most common uses. A 10 degree reduction can save up to 5 percent on water heating costs. Food service/sales businesses and medical facilities should consult local code mandates as a higher temperature may be required.

If you have a boiler system that doubles as your water heater, consider installing a separate water heater. You can then shut down the larger boiler system during the summer months.

Turn off lights in unoccupied spaces. Better yet, install motion sensors in conference rooms, closets, restrooms, and break rooms. Motion sensors can reduce lighting costs up to 40 percent in areas where lights are generally left burning all the time.

Consider buying efficient replacement bulbs. Incandescent bulbs can be replaced with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). CFLs burn cooler, use up to two-thirds less energy, and last about ten times longer than incandescent bulbs.

Replace fluorescent and incandescent lights in exit signs with LED fixtures, which use 80–95 percent less energy and last 10–20 times longer. While LED exit signs may cost around $100 more than incandescent signs, a typical exit sign will last about 10 years, and the energy saved and reduced maintenance costs will pay back your investment in less than three years.

Turn off or program office equipment to power down when not in use. Turning off one computer and monitor nightly and on weekends can save up to $80 a year. Setting PCs, monitors and copiers to sleep mode when not in use can help cut energy costs by up to 50 percent.

Defrost freezers regularly. Frost acts as an insulator and forces equipment to operate less efficiently.

Practice responsible energy accounting. Track monthly energy costs to identify potential problems or ways to improve efficiency.

Check with utilities, state energy offices, Small Business Development Centers, or Industrial Assessment Centers to see if free or low-cost energy audits are available.