With the price of energy rising and COP26 revealing a lack of financial support for small businesses regarding sustainability-improvements, it is important that SMEs find ways that they can cut their energy usage.
Being mindful of how you’re using gas and electricity is vital when looking for ways to save money on your business electricity and gas bills and could have multiple benefits, such as:
- Save money on gas and electric bills
- Increasing your profits
- Helping the environment.
Business energy experts, Bionic, have compiled a list of 11 ways that small businesses can save energy therefore, cutting costs and becoming more sustainable.
1. Assess when you’re heating your premises
Many business owners pay a standard tariff to heat their premises but find that the building is being heated overnight or when rooms are empty. If you need to heat your building overnight, consider a time of use tariff that offers cheaper rates at certain times.
Alternatively, you could turn your heating down by one degree which could potentially slash your heating bills by as much as 10%.
2. Switch appliances off
Appliances left on standby, instead of being completely switched off, are still using energy and are wasting energy and money. Switching them off is a huge way to cut your gas and electricity costs.
3. Pay attention to the weather
If it’s a hot day and rooms don’t need to be heated, turn the thermostat down. By being conscious of the weather and adjusting your thermostat accordingly, you’ll be saving money in no time.
4. Install a smart meter to save
Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your business energy bills as they help you see where and when your gas and electricity is being used and how much it’s costing you, meaning you can curb your consumption.
5. Be mindful of water costs
Water over 60°C can be dangerous for you and your staff, not to mention that it will waste energy. 60°C is the optimum temperature for hot water – ensuring that water is at this temperature will slice your business energy bills.
6. Turn off lights when not in use or fit light sensors
Leaving lights on in empty rooms can cause our energy bills to skyrocket. Advising staff to turn off lights when they leave an empty room will make all the difference.
Many businesses also opt to install light sensors in areas like storerooms and toilets because they are places where people aren’t going to be all day.
7. Encourage all staff to be energy-aware
A study published on Energy Live News claimed that 68% of employees now thought about their energy usage more mindfully at work.
Decreasing our energy usage is something we all need to think about in the short and long term. Talk to your staff about energy saving initiatives and explain why it’s so important. Implementing incentives and rewards could spur them on to really get involved.
8. Draught-proof your building
Draught-proofing doors and windows is a cheap way to save money on gas and electricity. Making these simple changes and taking time to inspect your premises to see if there’s any gaps or cracks where draughts could come through will make all the difference and will be reflected in your monthly business energy bills.
9. Go paperless as much as you can
We rarely consider how much electricity is being used to activate the printer and how much paper we’re using each day.
Going paperless can be a great cost-effective solution if you can email digital receipts or read a document online instead of printing.
10. Request an energy audit
Energy audits can be incredibly helpful. Many energy suppliers offer audits to help your business pinpoint exactly where you can save power and how you can do this. Just contact your current supplier to get started.
11. Switch energy supplier
Even if you’re happy with your current energy supplier, it pays to shop around and compare gas and electricity prices to find the best deal for your business. If you’re interested in doing more for the environment, it’s worth considering a green energy deal or even putting your own renewable energy technology in place.
