Working from the office is more energy efficient than WFH, Savills finds

On average, it is more energy efficient to work from the office than it is to work from home, according to research by Savills. Even when travel was included, over the course of a year, office-based working beat working from home for sustainability in most cases. However, the results are seasonal. Working from home is the greener option in summer, whereas offices are the better choice in winter. Length and method of commute is also a factor. For those who commute by car, Savills concluded that it is more energy efficient to work from home if your journey is more than 6km each way. Under this threshold, office working is the greener option. Beyond simply reducing personal energy costs by working in an office rather than at home, there are many variables to take into account, said Savills, including domestic energy efficiency, the design of the office, commute distance and type of transport. Mike Barnes, associate director in Savills European research team, said: “In the winter, instead of heating thousands of homes individually during the day, it is more energy efficient to be in the office, unless you have a long car commute. However, during the summer, when household heating is not required, it is largely more sustainable to work from home.” Dan Jestico, director at Savills Earth, added: “There are a lot of variables at play here, and the results will be highly dependent on the type and efficiency of the home, efficiency of vehicle as well as distance travelled. Yet it is fair to say that hybrid working has changed the way we think about the office.” To send feedback, e-mail piers.wehner@eg.co.uk or tweet @PiersWehner or @EGPropertyNews