How much does it cost to work at home?

The lunch is rarely as good, but on the other hand there is peace of mind and no transport time. Remote work has become popular in many places, and the energy crisis has made it even more relevant.

In Egedal Municipality, employees are sent home every Friday. This saves the municipality from having to heat the town hall and saves money.

But what does it really cost when you sit down in front of the screen at home in sweatpants to do a day’s work?

Videnscentret Bolius calculated this. Right down to the detail.

You can add up what you spend money on yourself here and find even more information at Bolius.

This is how much a working day in your home costs:

Electricity:
Laptop for 8 hours: 240 Wh
LED bulbs on for 4 hours: 20 Wh
Height adjustable table for 8 hours: 3.20 Wh
Router and Internet for 8 hours: 88 Wh
Charging mobile for two hours: 20 Wh
Standby consumption for charger for six hours: 0.60 Wh
TV 30” on for two hours: 88.20 Wh
Loose speaker for streaming for six hours: 60 Wh
Capsule coffee machine for three brews: 360 Wh
Toaster for 7.5 min: 81.25 Wh
Stove, small 1.5 plate for 1/2 hour: 110 Wh

Total consumption in Wh: 1,071.25
Total electricity consumption in DKK: 6.08

Other:
Water, 15 l: DKK 1.10
Depreciation of office space over 15 years: 1.70
Coffee capsules 3 pcs: DKK 7.50
Fruit arrangement, 1 apple daily: DKK 2.50

Total price for electricity and other consumption in DKK 18.88

And where is the heat in that calculation? It is very difficult to calculate, says housing economics expert at Bolius Jørgen Munksgaard Rasmussen, who is responsible for the calculations.

“Many people have heat on anyway when they are not at home. But even if you assume that you are working in a small study that is not otherwise used and only has the 18 degrees Celsius needed to keep mould away, it is difficult”, he says.

The closest guess is that if you heat with district heat at a kWh price of DKK 0.52, it is an estimated additional cost of DKK 100 to 300 per year.

And if you heat with a gas stove, the price per kWh is almost five times as high, corresponding to higher heating costs of around DKK 500-1,500 for a year. So a maximum of DKK 4 per day.

“But these are uncertain figures because there are so many factors that come into play”, says Jørgen Munksgaard Rasmussen.