As autumn ushers in cooler weather, it’s crucial to take steps to optimise your operations and reduce costs on your business energy bills.
Now is certainly the time to get proactive, here are some practical tips to get you started:
Make a dent in your peak demand
Alter the period in your business’s working day where most energy is used. Naturally, it varies from business to business but in an office, it tends to be between 9am and 5pm and in other sectors with set days off this affects your peak demand period.
Why not consider staggering workers’ start times and shifting the use of energy-intensive equipment throughout core hours by considering flexible hours or home-working opportunities. When considering the option of home working especially, don’t overlook the energy savings from the reduced in-house electrical equipment use, lighting, heating and kitchen facilities.
Switch to energy-efficient equipment
Assess your current office equipment and start a process that you can roll out over several years, replacing older equipment with poor energy ratings with new, highly rated models can make a marked impact on your energy usage. When budgeting for this, make the equipment that you use most frequently your priority and impact your business energy bills, such as computers, printers and photocopiers.
Switch to energy-efficient lighting
A great way to lower business energy bills is utilising energy-efficient light bulbs, such as LEDs, CFLs, or halogens. For an example, a switch to LED can represent a massive 75% energy saving on your lighting costs, and this type of lighting lasts 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. You could also consider motion sensors and light sensors that turn on when a room is occupied to prevent the reliance on employees pressing the switch to reduce your business energy bills.
Natural lighting is also a free tactic to consider, it sounds like a no-brainer but is often something businesses easily overlook. Items in windows such as window dressings, blinds or curtains are restricting natural sunlight from providing some illumination to the office. Yes, we’re moving into the season of darker days, but it is important to seize the last of this opportunity for the year. Also, did you know it has been found that natural light in the workplace improves the productivity and well-being of workers? So to reduce business energy costs and create a happier workforce, switch off the artificial lighting and let daylight work its magic.
For rooms that do require full lighting systems an energy-saving initiative is the use of dimmer switches give you even more control over lighting, letting you reduce the intensity of artificial
lights.
Take better control of your heat
Use heating controls wisely, and consider installing a smart thermostat. Most offices use air conditioning systems to control the heat in the office and these can account for up to 30% of an energy bill. Start to monitor the use of these and additionally, consider the use of individual desk fans and heaters throughout the year as these can ramp up your usage. So before you consider introducing an office ban on individual equipment (and causing a frenzy), find heating systems that cater for the needs of the whole office smartly.
Utilising power saving mode
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.
Say goodbye to standby- switch it off!
It has become second nature to use the standby mode on computers, laptops and work appliances– but there are decent energy savings to be made by switching off appliances instead. This energy-saving step can be particularly impactful in an office full of computers or office kitchens where your replying on the last person to switch off the kettle.
You could consider the use of auto shut off plugs. This device can have great potential to turn off equipment which may accidentally be left on for long periods or overnight, or something you wouldn’t consider switching off at the mains – office computers/printers/kitchen appliances. Multi socket extension leads can be plugged into this power saver to allow four or more devices to be fully disconnected from the power and reduces the reliance on yourself or employees to flick the switch. There are a range of products available and well-used in offices ranging from 30 minute – 10 hour timer settings causing no disruption to a working day just a flick of a switch on a morning to activate.
Assess the workplace kitchen
We all look forward to the tea and lunch breaks throughout our working day and that means the
workplace kitchen and break room can be a hotspot for energy use. With many workplaces using staggered break times and mealtimes, kettles can be boiled dozens of times a day, representing a surprising drain on energy. Consider installing a hot water caddy in place of a kettle or offering a tea and coffee vending machine to level out these energy spikes.
If staff have access to a fridge-freezer, make sure this appliance is regularly maintained, with frequent defrosting to keep it as energy efficient as possible. If a microwave is available, put up a sign asking for it to be switched off between uses, and see if it has a power-saving setting.
Consider solar energy
While you would naturally associate solar panels with summer days, autumn is an ideal time to get them fitted. Installing them during the autumn months can help you save significantly on energy costs throughout the winter. 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. Throughout autumn and winter, this energy can therefore add up to a noticeable reduction in your electricity costs.
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.
Switch suppliers
Energy costs can be a significant expense, especially as the temperatures drop. With Procure Smart, you can take control of your utility bills and achieve substantial savings. We specialise in finding the best energy deals for businesses, negotiating competitive rates on your behalf. By managing all your utility services in one place with us — electricity, gas, water, waste, telecoms and card payment services you could not only save money but also reduce administrative overhead. Let us take care of the boring stuff so you can focus on running your business efficiently.
