How Much Electricity Do Standing Desks Use?
With the growth of ergonomic office solutions and increasing awareness of the health concerns associated with prolonged sitting, standing desks, particularly electric sit-stand desks, have become popular for most work-from-home professionals.
They offer numerous benefits, and since I transitioned to one, I haven’t looked back. Recently I started thinking about the additional energy cost of using a sit-stand desk daily. So, I did some tests and research, and here’s everything I learned.
Do Standing Desks Use Electricity?
Yes, electric standing desks of course use electricity. They are easy to use because they adjust with a button, so you don’t have to manually adjust them.
The mechanism is similar to manual standing desks, except manual desks instead of a control panel and motor, have a crank or a pneumatic lift for adjustment.
📌 Tip: I recommend a manual standing desk if electricity is not readily or consistently available to you. Likewise, be sure to choose a desk size that is a perfect fit for your workspace.
Energy Cost of Using a Standing Desk
To calculate the energy cost, you must first understand the standing desk’s power rating. For example the Desky Sit-Stand Desk, has a power rating of 200W when adjusting and 0.1W when idle. You’ll find this information on your product specification sheet, however most brands are very similar.
📝 Note: On average, most sit-stand desks have a transformer power of 200 Watts and a standby power of 0.2 Watts.
Next, I estimated how many hours per day I use the desk in the powered mode, i.e., when adjusting the height.
On most days, I adjust the desk about four times daily, taking about 15 seconds each time. So, that’s a total of 1 minute per day. Now, to calculate the energy consumption, I used the formula:
Energy (kWh) = Power (kW) x Time (hours)
Since the Desky Sit-Stand Desk has a power rating of 0.2 kw when adjusting, the energy consumption for a day is:
Energy (kWh) = 0.2 kW x (1/60) hours = 0.00333 kWh
Now, it’s time to understand the cost implications. I’ll multiply Energy (kWh) by the cost of electricity per kWh. In Melbourne, the cost of electricity is $0.25 per kWh. This translates to:
Cost = 0.00333 kWh x $0.25/kWh = A$ 0.0008325
This is a negligible cost for the health benefits and comfort the standing desk provides. Note that this doesn’t consider the idle energy consumption of the sit-stand desk, but that is really negligible.
Sit-Stand Desk Energy Saving Tips
Here are some tips to further minimise electricity usage when using standing desks:
- Get a model with acpower saving mode, for example the UpDown Pro Desk has a power-saving mode that turns the desk off after 15 seconds of inactivity.
- Limit the fiddling when you adjust the desk height. Find a comfortable standing and sitting height, save them if you have memory presets, and stick to them.
Every little bit helps when it comes to saving energy. Even small changes can add up to significant savings over time.
Summary
Standing desks consume relatively minimal energy compared to other office equipment. Their health benefits and efficiency far outweigh the small amount of electricity they use.
Still, by being mindful of your standing desk’s usage, you can enjoy the ergonomic advantages without significantly increasing your carbon footprint or energy costs.
Always remember, every small step towards a more energy-conscious office is a step in the right direction for environmental sustainability.
