With energy prices currently at an all time high, a great help for small businesses to cut the cost of their invoices is energy efficiency. According the Carbon Trust, energy bills for small businesses could be cut by up to 10%.
Change lighting
Up to 40% of business energy use is spent on lighting, so savings could be made here with a handful of changes. Although there would be an upfront cost, using modern LEDs, CFL or halogens to replace incandescent filament bulbs, would save a lot of energy and would also be longer lasting.
Motion sensors in your corridors and toilets that only turn the lights on when they’re needed could also be considered. It may sound obvious but not everyone thinks to turn the lights off when a stockroom or office is empty, so encourage employees to do this.
Consider your climate control use
Keep fans, vents and air conditioning filters clean so they don’t have to work as hard. Move furniture away from radiators, so they are not absorbing or blocking the heat. Use heating and air conditioning wisely. One degree of overheating can add up to 8% to your invoice and up to 30% by leaving the air conditioning on all day in the summer.
Turn appliances off
Encourage employees to turn off appliances when not in use. Consider whether big banks of plugs and switches all need to be on.
Be mindful if your business has a kitchen
Switch the dishwasher on only when it is full. Turn the microwave off at the plug when not in use. Preheat cooking equipment and cover pots for quicker cooking and heat loss. Clean filters on fridges and freezers, as this help with efficiency and to ensure they don’t overheat. Make sure they have enough space.
Whenever possible, buy insulated cooking equipment such as coffee machines, ovens, fryers. Grooved or smooth griddles use a lot less energy than broilers, so consider these options when it comes to replacing. When an appliance needs replacing, go for a A+++ rated one as it will save more money in the long term.
Go paperless
Printing documents uses a lot of energy, so make sure office printers are switched off when not in use and encourage employees to use less paper when possible.
Avoid energy waste
Keep chilled cabinets away from external doors and to keep refrigerated air from escaping, install pull down blinds on dairy/produce cases when you’re closed. Keep exterior and goods doors closed as much as possible.
Encourage your staff to help with energy saving
Remind employees why it is important to save on energy, consider reminders such as posters for staff only areas. Check your equipment to spot energy wastage by doing regular walkthroughs of your premises.
A good way of keeping energy saving on the agenda is by having monthly management meetings to share progress and ideas.
Consider a second generation smart meter
Smart meters are a good way of telling where you use the most energy and also where it might be wasted. Throughout the day you could adjust energy heavy tasks if you could see how much you are spending. You will also receive accurate bills, so no more estimates and paying for what you haven’t used.
Another way to see if you can save your business money is to get a quote from Utility Options.
Bira members save an average of £1,030 when they switch their utilities*
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