Many commercial and industrial premises in the UK were built with little consideration for energy efficiency. With soaring energy bills, there has never been a better time to take stock and look at where energy savings could be made. Reducing the amount of energy your business uses is a no-brainer. Reducing the carbon footprint of your business is good news for the planet, and will save you money.
There are many easy ways to reduce energy consumption and this article aims to get you started with some really simple steps to take control and bring down costly energy bills.
1 Perform A Commercial Energy Audit
The first step to reducing energy consumption is to find out exactly how much energy you are using and how this could be reduced. A professional commercial energy audit service, such as Nexus Energy Solutions will take several hours, depending on the size of your premises. The assessor will spend a good amount of time physically checking your buildings and analysing historical bills. Some commercial energy suppliers may provide this service free, so check with your current supplier or shop around.
2 Consider Switching to a Different Energy Supplier
Comparing electricity tariffs is time consuming, but many businesses miss out on potential savings by not keeping an eye on prices. It really is worth doing some research periodically to see where your business could get a better deal. Check out not only the lowest tariffs, but the extras that suppliers throw in, such as free energy management software. Small changes can make a big difference.
3 Get Rid of Incandescent Light Bulbs and Switch to LEDs
Did you know that LED bulbs use over 75% less energy than equivalent incandescent lighting? This can represent an enormous saving for your business. Not only do LEDs use less energy, they also last much longer than incandescent bulbs, often as long as 15 years with normal usage.
4 Turn Lights Off When They’re Not Needed
One of the most significant and easy ways to save energy. We’re all guilty of not doing this at home but it really will make a difference to your energy costs if turning unnecessary lights off becomes the norm. The UK government has estimated that UK businesses could be saving a mind boggling £1.1 billion by being more efficient with lighting.
• Install motion sensors to turn lights on in low traffic areas
• Turn off lights when leaving rooms empty
• Don’t light areas not in use, ie cupboards and store rooms
• Use natural light as much as possible
5 Don’t Leave Electrical Appliances On Standby
All electrical appliances consume energy when they’re on standby. Although it is convenient to have devices such as computer screens or printers on standby, the amount of electricity consumed over a year adds up to a significant amount. The Energy Savings Trust found that the average UK home wastes £86 a year by leaving appliances on standby, so imagine the sums that could be saved for your business.
6 Invest In Energy-Efficient Office Equipment
Electrical appliances with poor energy ratings are costing you money and should be replaced as soon as is practicably possible. Whilst we wouldn’t suggest you immediately ditch everything without an A+++ rating, we would definitely recommend that you look out for the most energy efficient rating when it is time to replace these items. Sometimes, the most efficient appliances incur a greater outlay, but their low energy consumption will eventually mitigate the extra expense.
7 Install a Programmable Thermostat
Programmable thermostats are an easy, low cost way to lower your business energy consumption whilst keeping your premises warm (or cool) for everyone. There are many different devices available to give you complete control of heating and cooling. You can program the thermostat to go on and off at certain times, or not be on at all at the weekend. turning your thermostat down 1 degree celsius could save you 10% on your commercial heating bills.
8 Optimise Commercial & Industrial Building Insulation
Appropriate insulation will reduce the amount of energy required to keep your premises comfortably warm, or cool. Is your building draughty? It may not seem like much of a problem, but you’re throwing money away if you don’t take steps to reduce this heat loss. Weatherstripping of doors and windows is a simple, cost effective way to lessen this pointless waste of energy by as much as 30%.
Investing in cavity wall insulation or upgrading window glazing is of course a more expensive way to improve energy efficiency, but it’s well worth considering the long-term benefits of the initial outlay.
9. Little Changes Can Make a Big Difference – Don’t overfill the kettle
The Energy Savings Trust has estimated that overfilling of kettles wastes Britain £68 million every year! Depending on staff numbers, you may want to consider investing in commercial water boilers rather than kettles. They save time as boiling water is always on tap, and can reduce the energy waste generated by overfilled kettles
10. Get Your Team Onboard
It really is a team thing. Most people are now aware of the dangers of climate change, and if they’re not, now is your chance to educate them and make a positive and significant impact, both to reduce your energy spend and for the good of the planet. You can find more hints and tips on how to motivate your staff in this article by Action Renewables.
Conclusion
The rise in energy prices is alarming both for the domestic and the business user. The very best practice now is to take as much control as possible by introducing energy saving measures as a priority. You may be eligible for a business energy efficiency grant or scheme, check out Ofgem to see what is available.
We hope our list will provide a starting point for your energy-saving, cost-reduction journey.
We’re ready to help you with your energy saving project. For help with PPM, lighting, insulation or glazing upgrades, call our friendly team on 0113 4574752.