Energy is an essential resource for businesses everywhere, no matter your industry or area of expertise. Whether you’re managing a factory or running an office building, lighting, heating and other necessary utilities will always make up a substantial chunk of your costs. This means that it is vital to find ways of saving energy wherever possible, in order to preserve those all important profit margins.
Fortunately, there are numerous different ways in which you can monitor and reduce your energy outgoings. Switching to a cheaper supplier, reducing your everyday consumption or working with a specialist consultant can allow you to cut costs on a daily basis, meaning you can streamline your operations and achieve commercial success.
Read on to find out more about how you can implement smart gas and electricity savings across your business model.
How To Reduce Energy Consumption & Cut Costs
When it comes to managing your energy usage, it is important to implement practical changes that can have a tangible impact on your costs. This will allow your business to reduce energy expenditure whilst cutting down on your carbon footprint.
Some top strategies are discussed below:
Improve Your Heating Habits
Most businesses will be kitted out with a large central heating system, where this will be controlled via a thermostat. It is entirely possible to cut your energy bills by lowering your heating temperature very slightly, allowing you to reduce usage levels without compromising the comfort of your staff.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, turning down your thermostat by 1°C could save you as much as £80 a year on your energy bills.
Beyond this, your business could also install a programmable thermostat, where this allows you to utilise a timer function to control your heating. As such, you will be able to set your heating to turn off when the room reaches a certain temperature. Additionally, you can use this technology to ensure that your heating remains switched off overnight or during office downtime.
Switch Off Technology
Another great way to reduce energy consumption in the workplace is by promoting a culture of mindfulness around turning off technology. Leaving on anything from lights to computer monitors can cost your company over time, so it is important to carry out thorough checks at the end of every day, particularly before weekends or holiday periods.
Maintain & Upgrade Equipment
It is a simple truth that older, run down equipment tends to be less energy efficient, where this can be causing your energy bills to spike. Out of date air conditioning systems and boilers tend to decline after five or ten years, so it is essential that these are serviced and replaced regularly. Upgrading computers and industrial equipment can also help you to streamline operations and reduce energy consumption.
Conduct An Energy Audit
It can be difficult to know where to start with energy management if you don’t have a full understanding of where gas and electricity is being wasted. That’s where an energy audit comes in. These assessments help to identify key energy inefficiencies, where this information will be presented in a comprehensive report filled with suggestions and recommendations. This could be a good starting point for getting on top of your energy consumption costs, helping you to start saving as soon as possible.
Switch Energy Suppliers
You may be able to switch energy suppliers in order to save your business money. Often, competitors will offer lower energy tariffs to commercial enterprises, where conducting some market research could help you to find a better deal. Some businesses may find that their energy contracts are more long term, in which case switching may not be a viable option. In this case, you may still be able to contact your supplier and discuss your options, where negotiating a lower rate is always a possibility.
Sustainable Lighting Practices
You can also reduce energy consumption and cut costs by implementing sustainable lighting habits throughout your premises. Most pertinently, your business could benefit from swapping traditional incandescent bulbs for LEDs, where these are a top energy efficient lighting choice.
Specifically, LED bulbs are designed to use up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs, where they can last up to 25 times longer. This means you will need to replace your bulbs less frequently whilst reducing your everyday energy consumption.
Beyond this, you can also manage your electricity consumption by making the most of natural light. Install slim, adjustable blinds that allow you to take advantage of large windows, where you can also decorate your space with light colours to make your interior seem better lit.
Install Modern Insulation
Another great way to reduce energy consumption is by ensuring that your building is fitted with modern insulation. A well insulated building will retain heat in the winter and cool air in the summer, meaning you will waste less electricity trying to adjust your indoor temperatures.
Retrofitting your building with new insulation can make a real difference to your energy bills, where you can also upgrade your windows with double or triple glazing to help your space to retain heat.
Involve Your Team
Achieving an energy efficient status for your building is only possible with the help of your entire workforce. Everyday habit adjustments and an energy saving mindset across your business will help to ensure that sustainable practices are being implemented on a daily basis. Running training days and informing staff of cost cutting measures can also help to reinforce the success of your green initiatives.
Smart Savings With The Energy Desk
You can also work to reduce your energy consumption levels and cut costs with the assistance of a professional energy management consultant like The Energy Desk. We specialise in offering premium energy solutions to businesses, where we will suggest expert methods for reducing your gas and electricity bills.
Some of the ways we can help include:
Gas & Electricity Procurement
We will carry out extensive research in order to find you the best gas or electricity contract on the market. Our team is experienced in working with SMEs and larger organisations, so we can take into account your precise energy requirements in order to find you the perfect procurement solution.
Our team can help you to find the best gas or electricity contract by tendering live to the market, where we can also research and help you to apply for local energy grants. When you work with us, your business will be assigned a dedicated account manager who will provide expert and industry specific guidance from start to finish. This means that you can rest assured that we’re finding you the best deal around.
Renewable Energy Solutions
Switching to a renewable energy supply is a top priority for many businesses today, and our team can help you to find the very best solutions for your company. We offer an end-to-end service that is designed to help you to implement practical sustainable energy changes, where we can also assist you in reaching key sustainability targets.
Energy Audits
Undertaking an energy audit is the best way to understand the complex needs of your business. As such, we offer a selection of free renewable energy feasibility studies and energy health checks, so we can assess how best to move forward as we address your utility needs.
The Energy Desk: Gas & Electricity Solutions For Your Business
At The Energy Desk, we offer tailored consultancy services in order to support your business energy needs. Whether you’re looking for a more affordable gas provider or you’d like to make the switch to renewables, our expert team is here to help.
Get in touch with us today to find out more.