With energy prices reaching an all-time high and no reprise on the horizon anytime soon, businesses need to think about reducing their energy costs and stay afloat of the soaring energy bills heading our way. In a bid to assist customers manage energy costs associated with their business premises, we have teamed up with Full Power Utilities whose job it is to find the best rates on the market available, to offer customers an independent review service of their utility spends. If you would like to take advantage of this service, click here for a free quote. We use Full Power for our own business, so we can confidently recommend the rates and service provided. The independent review service will help you to:
- Understand the commercial utilities market.
- Gain access to over 40 commercial utility suppliers- many of when are ‘broker only’.
- Avoid dealing with suppliers.
- Improve budgetary control.
In the meantime, one of the best ways to reduce energy costs is to reduce usage. Here are some straightforward tips to help you get started…
Conduct an energy audit of your business premises
You need to take some ownership of your energy usage. It is worth carrying out an energy audit to assess where you use the most energy in your business. By doing this, you’ll be able to spot areas where you’re potentially wasting energy – and money – and you can make changes.
You should take stock of your workplace at different times throughout the day to get an idea of when and where your business uses the most energy. Can you spot any trends or spikes in energy usage?
For example, if you have a smart meter, you might notice that you are using more energy overnight than during the day. You could be wasting energy on computers on standby or heating an empty office unnecessarily. By assessing how much energy is used, when it’s being used and why, you can make a plan for change.
Organisations such as the Carbon Trust and the Energy Savings Trust also offer advice on how your business can use energy more efficiently.
Keep an eye on your appliances
Do you have appliances that could be switched off for longer? Equipment that doesn’t need to be on 24/7.
Appliances such as computers can use energy even when they’re on standby. If you leave your laptop or desktop computer on overnight while you’re not using it, you’re wasting electricity. The Carbon Trust estimates that by turning computers off at night and at weekends, you could cut the amount of energy these devices use by 75% per year, which could have a positive impact on your business energy bill.
Printers, TV monitors and even appliances such as microwaves in your work kitchen can also use energy in the background when they’re switched on but not in use. You could save money by turning these off at the electric socket when you’ve finished using them or overnight.
If you operate from a warehouse rather than an office, the same principle applies. You should turn off tools and equipment when they’re not in use.
How energy-efficient your appliances are, have an impact on how much energy they use and, as a result, how much energy your business has to pay for. It might be more cost effective to upgrade a piece of older equipment which in long-term will save you energy.
If you can’t afford to replace your appliances at the moment, it’s still important to have them regularly cleaned, checked and maintained. For example, if you work from a warehouse that manages chilled goods, you could ensure that your refrigerators are not overstocked, which can block air vents and affect energy efficiency. Also make sure they are serviced from time to time. Regular maintenance can help ensure that your devices work correctly and are as efficient as possible, keeping your costs down.
Save energy as a team
Saving energy in the workplace is a team effort. If you have employees, get them involved in the little nudges that can save your business money. Apply an energy champion for example to keep an eye on day-today energy usage.
You may want to send weekly emails to staff about what they can do to help or ask for their suggestions on how to improve energy efficiency in the workplace.
Check your lighting
Make sure you turn off lights when you’re not using a room, and especially when leaving your workplace for an extended period of time (such as overnight or during a holiday period).
According to EDF Energy, lighting a workspace can account for up to 40% of your business energy bill, so it’s important to ensure that your lighting set-up is energy efficient.
When it comes to replacing light bulbs, it’s worth making sure that you buy energy-efficient options such as LEDs. These last longer and cost less to maintain than traditional bulbs. You may also be able to use lower-wattage bulbs or fit more energy-efficient light fixtures to further reduce the electricity needed to light your workspace.
Building Management System (BMS). Installing motion sensors – so that lights only turn on when someone is in the room – is another way you could save on your energy usage. If that isn’t an option for your business right now, try to make sure you turn off the lights when you leave a room. You may find that sticking a note by the light switch may help everyone remember to do this.
Don’t forget, there is help available for businesses. Full PowerUtilities are an established, award-winning commercial gas, electricity & water brokers, and consultants with over 25 years’ experience. To take advantage of this opportunity to work with one of the UK leading energy consultants in the industry, click here.
