When it comes to reducing business energy bills, a variety of factors will affect how efficient your company currently is. You will want to reflect on the current situation of the business and consider what could potentially be effecting your energy usage. By following these simple and easy tips you can improve your energy consumption.
Become eco-friendly and reduce business energy bills
As a business you should be asking yourself a couple of questions:
- Are your lights always on?
- How long have you left lights on?
- Are lights kept on throughout the night?
- Is the heating always on?
- Can heat easily escape?
- Do you need to print?
- Do you turn off electronic devices?
By reflecting on the current situation of the business, it will help establish where you may be losing energy. Answering simple questions may provide the answers you’ve been looking for. Read below our tips on how to reduce your energy consumption.
Energy saving audit
You may want to consider having an energy saving audit; it will indicate how and where the business is using energy, provide insights into how the company can reduce energy consumption and save on energy bills. An energy analysis can also help improve the comfort of your employees by improving air quality. Making changes to insulation can prevent the air inside the building from becoming dry and cold. Comfortable employees are happy and more productive.
Replacing bulbs
Implementing energy efficient bulbs is a quick and easy way to becoming more eco-friendly in the office. You will need bulbs to fit with health and safety requirements. There are two main types of bulbs you may want to consider, Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Compact Fluorescent Lamps require a small amount of electricity to turn on, they also last much longer than standard light bulbs and operate on a lower wattage to achieve maximum brightness. Trilux offers a range of different energy saving lighting solutions for office spaces. Replacing a traditional bulb may save you roughly £3 to £6 per year.
Another option is to fit motion sensors to lighting, reducing the lighting output can save your business significant energy bills. Motion sensors also work as a safety buffer; employees walking into a darkened room don’t have to fumble around looking for a switch. The less frequently used areas of the building don’t have to be lit the whole day.
Switching off equipment
Ensure all equipment not being used is switched off helping towards minimising energy costs. Rather than leaving computers and laptops on standby shut them down at the end of the day or week. During the day hibernate computers, not in use, it will automatically save your work and allow you to pick up from where you left off.
Buy energy efficient devices
While it may be more expensive up front, you will reap the benefits in the future. Consider solar panels for your business, if your company has a sizeable unused roof space. Solar panels are free, clean and renewable energy. Electricity is produced through natural daylight during business hours. This means that power will be used on site providing maximum benefits for the business. Solar panels often create a significant amount of energy, which meets energy requirements for the company.
Energy Star provides a variety of energy-efficient desktops and laptops. Each computer can enter a low power sleep mode when not in use. Computers have bigger screens and speakers allowing for a more ergonomically correct work environment.
Smart meters
Any business can have a smart meter fitted however it is up to your energy provider to what criteria your business fits into; this is based on how much energy you currently use. Smart meters have two unique features that will be beneficial for your business; they show exactly how much you’re using and what it will cost you in real time. They will send accurate meter reading to your energy provider. You can track precisely how much energy you are using regarding both electricity and gas, what it costs in pounds and pence daily.
Take regular meter readings
Taking accurate meter readings will prevent energy companies overcharging you based on an estimated reading. It will ensure you are given the right tariff and avoid unnecessary spending.
Reducing paper wastage
You will be surprised just how much energy is used to print and copy pages. Commercial printers use between 30-50 watts on standby and 300 to 500 watts when printing. Only print when necessary, go paperless on pages that don’t need to be on paper. Everyone nowadays has a laptop, tablet or smartphone, use these to look at reference materials instead of printing.
Use energy saving features
Having carpet instead of wood or tile flooring is an excellent way of trapping heat and keeping your office warmer during the cold winter months. Consider your internal and external doors energy performance ratings. It will indicate how much heat and energy the building may be using. Having the right doors can trap heat and fresh air.
Changing suppliers
Changing suppliers can sometimes be time-consuming and feel like hassle. However, it may be one of your top priorities when trying to reduce business energy bills. You may want to consider calling around and checking with a number of energy companies to get the right price for your business.
Small business owners should speak to their current home energy provider. More often than not they will offer a deal if you take out a business energy tariff.
Switching doesn’t mean you get cut off as both companies new and old work together in the switching process. You should be with your new provider in a matter of weeks, and you can still change your mind during this period.
Summary
By having an energy audit, it can initially inform you of potential energy wastage in the business and provide insights into ways of improving company eco-efficiency. Small changes such as introducing a smart meter can show how much energy is being wasted and how much money is being spent on a day-to-day basis. Using a smart meter can make employees more aware of the current energy situation in the business and where they may be using energy unnecessarily. If your company considers changing small fittings such as lighting and the installation of motion sensors, it will reduce your overall lighting costs. You also don’t have to worry about lights being left on out of work hours or in parts of the building that are not in use.
Implementing Ampower’s top tips into your business can improve eco-efficiency and reduce the cost of energy bills. You can eventually over time improve your companies’ carbon footprint.