Office-based businesses tend to waste a significant amount of energy because they fail to run their operations using the "most efficient" electronic equipment, it has been claimed.
Nicholas Schoon, editor of the Environmental Data Services Report, said that energy wastage in offices is often due to leaving lights on when not needed and the electronic equipment used.
According to Mr Schoon, businesses often leave their computers and monitors on, despite there being ways of programming a computer to run more efficiently.
"It will only change if people care about it," he commented.
"Certainly much more could be done about lighting and electronic equipment," he added.
Research by Canon found that office equipment that is left on over a ten day Christmas period can waste 43.6 million KwH of electricity.
Failing to turn off office equipment during this period could see £8.66 million wasted in electricity costs, the firm estimated.
