Making a round of tea for workmates is one of the best ways to help save the planet

Making a round of tea for your workmates is one of the best ways to help save the planet, according to a study.

Experts have compiled a list of the top 45 things people can change at work which can save their bosses money and help the environment at the same time.

Using a hand-dryer, opening the curtains and asking for a new computer are among the top ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

Ditching the screen saver and turning off your computer when you pop out for lunch are also prominent in the list.

Instead of turning up the thermostat on a cold day, the study recommends pulling back the curtains or drawing the blinds to let natural sunlight warm up the room.

Making your colleagues a cuppa not only wins you friends, but also reduces the overall energy used compared to making one cup of tea at a time.

Instead of filling the kettle every time you want a cup of tea or coffee, boiling only what is needed could save £7 over the year.

And workers sick of calling IT when their computers go down, can now feel confident that asking for a new computer will actually save money in the long run.

Researchers found that appliances made over ten years ago use more electricity than their counterparts, and that using screensavers actually wastes more energy than turning screens off and on again.

Turning off your computer at the end of the day, or when you grab some lunch could also save up to £35 per year.

The study was carried out by www.businesselectric.com, a price comparison site for the commercial sector.

Spokesman Daniel Brown said: “Rising energy prices have certainly put a strain on small businesses.

“Installing expensive solar panels and running your wifi off nearby wind turbines is simply impractical for modern businesses to consider.

“However, businesses don’t realise they can save up to 50 per cent on their renewal rates simply by switching to the cheapest deal or cutting down on waste.

“Small businesses are wasting £7.7bn every year because they lack the right approach to make themselves energy efficient.

“And with a staff of eco-savvy workers on the payroll, they can save even more money.

“Educating their workforce on small changes that can be made in the workplace is an essential part of any strategy to cut down on energy waste.”