It’s tough to ignore the reality that business energy bills are rising in the UK for the majority which makes this year’s Energy Saving Week a great time to focus on energy efficiency.
The initiative is organised by the Energy Saving Trust and Citizens Advice Bureau as an initiative to encourage people to make conscious efforts to minimise energy usage and in turn lower business energy bills and help the environment. As well as saving money by improving energy efficiency it’s also about exploring energy deals to ensure you’re paying the best price.
At Procure Smart a common question our experts are asked by our customers is how to lower their business energy bills and find the best deals in the market. Take a read of this article to find out ways to lower your energy bill, including looking at using a commercial gas and electricity price comparison website to ensure you are paying a competitive price.
Conduct an Energy Audit or mindful observation on your whole office
Firstly, it is important to start with identifying areas of inefficiency in your operations, not reading or googling the latest general energy saving hints and tips. Start by pinpointing opportunities for improvement that focus on your operation and setting realistic tasks and goals for your work space and teams.
Identify your energy
efficiency strengths and weaknesses, such as:
- Draughts or air leaks
- Insulation issues
- Outdated lighting
- Faulty HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air
Conditioning) systems - Energy used to operate office equipment
- Assess the workplace kitchen
- Asking your staff where they think you could save
A key part of ensuring success is making it clear that everyone needs to be involved and engaged to make a real difference; so make sure to share your findings and enforce actions for the whole workplace. For example, commonly found in modern appliances, power-saving mode really can help to shave money off your business energy bills, especially if you have a large workforce using computers or equipment. It is as simple as activating the mode and making sure workers keep their equipment set that way. But to do this, employees need to know this mode exists on their equipment – let them know.
In terms of increased mindfulness for the workplace managers, tools like Smart Meters are a great way to better observe your energy consumption, allowing you to make strategic decisions in real-time.
Control the temperature
Keep your thermostat at around 25 degrees in summer and 18 degrees in winter. In the summer months, even adjusting your thermostat setting up one degree can typically save 2-3% on cooling costs. Program the temperature with your smart thermostat so that when the building is unoccupied you can adjust the temperature accordingly. Locking the thermostat so it cannot be changed by multiple personnel is never a bad idea to help control the temperature as well.
Lighting adjustments
The most savvy lighting adjustment is to replace incandescent bulbs with LED, CFLs, or halogens lighting, known to use up to 75% less energy and last 25 times longer. Another system for increasing efficiency is time or movement-sensitive lighting sensors, ensuring only occupied rooms are being lit during working hours. An obvious but less-considered option is simply embracing natural light when and wherever possible to enhance efficiency and lower electricity usage. For rooms that do require full lighting systems an energy-saving initiative is the use of dimmer switches to give you even more control over lighting, letting you reduce the high intensity of artificial lights and reduce usage.
Shut off unused areas of the premises
If your business premises are extensive, consider shutting down a whole area and carrying out the work in just a controllable section of the building, which is then the only area using heating and lighting. This won’t just reduce running costs, it can also optimise operations by bringing colleagues together.
Use laptops instead of desktops
Desktop computers are the equipment of the past. Statistics report that laptops use up to 80% less power than desktops. Encourage your employees to bring their laptops or supply them with one to reduce energy. Once they have reached full charge, also encourage employees to unplug the charging device to reduce standby time.
Go paperless
With video calls overtaking face to face meetings for a large portion of organisations, it’s also time to ditch the paper piles on desks. Enforce a “print only when you must” office policy. Not only does it save costs on paper and help the environment, it reduces consumption as less energy is used by the printer when idle.
Switch off what you don’t use
Make sure that you switch off all equipment when not in use. For example, all printers, scanners, microwaves, lights, air conditioners, vending machines during weekends or holidays. These items still continue to draw power even if when plugged in. Turning them off after working hours will reduce your consumption. When the office isn’t closed during weekends and holidays but during out of office hours, turn off computers, monitors, printers and copiers.
Using renewable energy
One of the common misconceptions about solar panels in the UK is that they only work efficiently on bright, sunny days but although they are more productive in direct sunlight, they are still capable of generating electricity on cloudy and overcast days, which are typical during autumn and winter in the UK. Solar panels can still work at up to 60% efficiency on cloudy days, which makes them viable even in the greyest months of the year.
Renewable energy now has a much greater return on investment (ROI) than it used to, while also often having a much lower emissions profile.
Get in touch to find out about our turnkey project management service, which can help you investigate, plan, fund and install commercial solar panels. It is easier and more affordable than ever for your business to benefit from renewables and Procure Smart can guide you every step of the way.
Choosing a new business energy supplier
Finding the right supplier and business energy rates could be crucial for small business energy efficiency in financial terms. With a better tariff and price point, you could easily get more for your money, enhancing your energy efficiency. To keep your business costs low, you must compare business energy suppliers and check you are getting the best deal possible in the market.
A great way to do this is online via a commercial gas and electricity price comparison website were you can easily and side by side compare prices and deals. Take a look at our innovative end-to-end energy contract switching tool for UK businesses allowing you to compare and switch business energy contracts entirely online. Get instant quotes for your energy and switch online, no phone call needed.
