Power Consumption of Remote Business

The Hidden Energy Cost of Remote Work

Working from home may feel like a break from the daily grind, but how much energy does it really save compared to being in the office? A new survey of over 1,000 full-time employees digs into the power consumption of remote work setups compared to traditional office life. With most workers now dialing in from home, the findings offer eye-opening insights into how our daily habits impact electricity bills and energy efficiency.

Key Takeaways

• 3 in 5 remote and on-site workers believe working in the office is more energy draining than working from home.

• 2 in 3 remote workers wouldn’t give up any of their current devices or “power consumers” to save energy or reduce costs.

• On average, remote workers spend 2.3 hours on video calls every day, totaling 598 hours, or 75 working days, every year; 1 in 10 spend 5 or more hours on video calls every day.

Which Work Setting Uses More Energy?

• 3 in 5 remote and on-site workers believe working in the office is more energy draining than working from home. According to research from the US Energy Information Administration residential electricity rate and past estimates of office building energy consumption, this is correct.

• Looking at energy costs alone, remote working costs between $0.38–$1.22 per day, while on-site working costs roughly $1.77 per day.

• Given this, remote working costs up to $317 in energy costs per year, while on-site working costs roughly $460 in energy costs per year.

• Remote workers prefer laptops (70%) to desktops (28%).

• In-office workers (50%) are 79% more likely to use desktops than remote workers (28%).

• According to EcoFlow, desktops consume 5 times more energy than laptops (roughly 2 kWh vs. 0.4 kWh).

• 60% of remote workers use a second monitor, 30% use docking stations, and 27% use external speakers.

• 54% of remote workers turn the thermostat up by at least 2 degrees while working.

• 46% of remote workers put all their devices to sleep at the end of the day, 32% shut down all of their devices, and 12% leave everything on.

Smart (or Not) Energy Habits at Home

• 48% of remote workers use automatic sleep settings for their devices, 33% use eco/low-power mode, and 28% use smart plugs or power strips.

• Just 9% of remote workers often consider the energy toll of their work-from-home setup compared to an office; 26% occasionally consider it, and 65% rarely or never do.

• 2 in 3 remote workers wouldn’t give up any of their current devices or “power consumers” to save energy or reduce costs.

Video Calls: The Unexpected Power Drain

• On average, remote workers spend 2.3 hours on video calls each day, totaling 598 hours, or 75 working days, each year.

• Remote managers spend 2.4 hours on video calls per day, 2 times as much as on-site managers (1.2 hours).

• According to IEA, a 1-hour video call with a camera consumes 0.08 kWh.

• 1 in 10 remote workers spend 5 or more hours in video calls every day.

• Nearly 1 in 3 remote workers (32%) always have their cameras on during video meetings.

• 26% of remote workers leave their video conferencing apps open all day, even when they are not in a meeting.

Methodology

For this study, we surveyed 1,005 full-time employees about their work device usage to estimate their power consumption. Among respondents, 75% reported remote working.

About Payless Power

Payless Power offers affordable prepaid electricity plans for Texans who want to take control of their energy use and budget. Whether you work from home or commute to the office, Payless Power helps you keep costs low with no-deposit, no-credit-check plans that fit your lifestyle.

Fair Use Statement

If you’d like to share these findings, you’re welcome to do so for noncommercial purposes. Just be sure to link back to this page and credit Payless Power.

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