As part of our partnership with Smart Energy GB, we have been sharing a series of articles on the benefits to small businesses of getting a smart meter installed. The owners of a small vegetarian & vegan wholefood shop - Kernal of Hove shared how they have seen the value of having a smart meter installed to make their business even more sustainable.

 

We strongly believe in looking after the planet for the next generation, so it’s hugely important to us that our shop is as eco-friendly as possible. Our fresh produce is all organically grown, which is a more sustainable alternative when it comes to food production, and it is largely sourced from local suppliers, which means we have very low food miles as well.

 

We’re always aware, however, that there is more we could be doing, so when our energy supplier offered us a smart meter we jumped at the chance. We knew that it would help us to identify small steps we could take to cut down on our energy waste, and might save us a few pounds into the bargain.

 

Before we got a smart meter, it was quite difficult to understand our bills - commercial energy is more expensive than domestic and there was always a real disparity between the summer and winter bills. The meters were hidden away and so it wasn’t really possible to keep track of our energy use or spend – we just had to wait for the energy bill to arrive and hope for the best.

 

All that changed when we had the smart meter fitted a year ago. It was very easy to arrange and the installation itself was quick and simple. We were instantly provided with near-real time access to our energy use and costs, which has made it so much easier to identify what is using the most energy and at what times. This has enabled us to take action to reduce unnecessary energy waste, like installing a PVC strip curtain on the open display chiller.

 

Our intention in opening up the shop was to bring healthy, eco-friendly shopping to our local community and to help others to cut down on their carbon footprint. The shop was built on the ethos of being green and cutting down on waste, and our smart meter plays a big part in that.

 

Like Kernal of Hove, if you would like to make one small step towards taking back control of your energy usage - contact your energy supplier to find how smart metering can work for your business or visit Smart Energy GB’s website to find out more information. Eligibility may vary.

 

 For more information on how to become a more sustainable independent retailer, visit our Sustainability Hub

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