British businesses could save £70 million on their energy bills over Christmas, says the Carbon Trust, if they follow a five-step guide to reducing power consumption.
The eco-friendly move would also save more than 450,000 tonnes of carbon being emitted if it is widely adopted.
Figures released by the trust suggest that simply switching off non-essential equipment over the festive break could save the UK economy £9 million a day.
And while the high streets and retail centres of the country are packed with shoppers, a variety of others industries - such as those based in offices - could be preparing to shut down for up to a fortnight.
Hugh Jones, director of solutions at the Carbon Trust, says: "Christmas is a great opportunity to
reduce energy bills by turning down the heating when the office is empty or switching off equipment that's not being used, such as lights, lifts and computers."
The first of the Carbon Trust's steps towards reducing energy bills and helping the environment this Christmas is to avoid heating unused spaces - such as those left empty by absent staff.
Similarly, switching lights off could have the desired effect, with huge potential savings to be made on electricity bills for firms who do so - although it is worth considering leaving lighting on a timer to put off burglars.
Another tip is to turn off equipment - such as computers - when the working day ends.
It is estimated that leaving a single device on standby costs more than £50 a year in wasted energy - so when multiplied many times over in a large office, it could be possible to make a considerable saving.
Insulating walls and changing lightbulbs to energy-saving versions are more practical methods of achieving lower
business energy consumption.
Price comparison site Which? earlier this week suggested that the only way to lower energy bills in the long term is to use less power in business and the home.
