EVERY business in Swindon could save up to £5,000 a year just by turning computers off at night.

And money could be pocketed just by adjusting the settings on a computer.

A recent survey has shown that businesses with up to 40 employees could save up to £5,000 on the annual electricity bill just by managing power consumption more efficiently.

This equates to up to £100 per employee.

Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire (BLBW) has backed up these findings, and says that its own research has found that too many appliances are left on standby even overnight.

Being on standby still eats up a significant amount of power, even if the machine is just waiting to be kicked into action at the touch of a mouse or click of a key.

Quizzing local businesses, BLBW found that there is also an issue when the office is effectively closed down at the end of the working day.

While some people shut their computers down, others prefer to leave them on standby or running with their screensaver, ready for the next day.

It is warning small businesses in Swindon to remember that all of this costs money in some cases a surprising amount that, if saved, can have a positive effect on the company's profitability as well as the environment.

Andy Poulton, one of BLBW's Swindon e-business advisers, said: "There are huge savings to be made by ensuring all electronic equipment, from computer terminals to printers and photocopiers are switched off at night."

Something as simple as changing a machine's existing power management settings to ensure it switches to low power standby as soon as a task is completed has the potential to save a small business hundreds of pounds over the course of a year.

"Not only will your business benefit as a result of lower electricity bills but you can rest easy knowing that by using less electricity, less electricity will be generated and this means a reduction in CO2 production, one of the main contributors to man's contribution to global warming."

For information, advice and access to experts on all issues relating to running or setting up a business please contact Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire on 0845 600 4141 or visit www.blbw.co.uk.