Hybrid working can save charities more than £15,000 a year on utility costs, research suggests

Charities looking to switch to a hybrid model of working, where staff share their time between home and office, can save more than £15,000 a year on the cost of heating and lighting their offices.

Charities with around 100 staff can save £15,480 a year, while those with 25 staff can save £3,870, the research found.

For small charities, with five members of staff, the saving is £796 year.

The analysis is based on charities switching to smaller headquarters and offices, from the average of 100 square feet per employer to 60 square feet.

The research also takes into account an average energy cost per square foot of £3.87.

According to the research, which has been carried out by energy firm Utility Bidder, the average annual utility saving, for all small to medium sized enterprises across all sectors, through hybrid working could be £7,586.

“When it comes to a hybrid working environment there is no need to have numerous offices filled with rows of desks and expensive hardware,” said Utility Bidder.

“When implemented on a larger scale, hybrid working can allow businesses to scale back office space and decrease expenditure on overheads.”

A spokesperson for Utility Bidder added that charities “choose what to do with the savings”.

While some “might choose to reward the improved productivity of their employees which should be possible by changing to a hybrid model. Others may choose to put the savings to work for the business (e.g. tech efficiency initiatives).”

Remote working became commonplace among many charities during the Covid-19 pandemic. But as lockdowns and restrictions have eased many are looking at introducing flexible arrangements. This includes hybrid models of working as well as four-day weeks.

Charities that are already adopting hybrid, remote and flexible working arrangements post health crisis include Community Integrated Care, which in August introduced a four-day week for more than 300 staff.

Others to look at long term flexible working arrangements include the Directory of Social Change.