Want to reduce the cost of business electricity and gas? Here’s how
Running a business comes with a whole range of overheads, from rent to rates, salaries to stationery, so it makes sense to look at reducing the cost of business electricity and gas.
If you’ve used our free commercial energy price comparison service here at the Commercial Energy Group you’ll already be with the most cost-effective supplier for your gas, electricity or a dual tariff, but even though you’re with the best supplier, there are steps you’ll want to take to reduce the cost of business electricity or gas supplies, not only that, you’ll know that your business and your team are contributing to the wellbeing of our planet, by cutting the amount of fossil fuels you are using.
Our top ten tips to reduce the cost of business electricity or gas
Some of these will be obvious, some you may not have thought of, but following any or all of our energy saving tips will help you reduce energy costs for your business and show your commitment to corporate social responsibility.
1, The light touch
Changing light bulbs for energy saving versions is one obvious way to save costs. Energy saving light bulbs use up to 80% less electricity than a standard light bulb to generate the same amount of light. Traditional incandescent and the least efficient halogen light bulbs are being taken off the market in favour of energy efficient alternatives.
At the same time, energy saving lightbulbs are so easy to come by. Just pop into the local DIY or hardware store, or even the supermarket - and once you have them installed, you won’t need to change them nearly so often, as they last far longer, so why wait until your light bulb ‘pops’? Take an active step now to replace them and start saving money.
2, Manage your energy
This should be straightforward for any business which is built on having efficient systems and processes. Start by taking an audit of your energy and your energy usage – you might want to put one of your team in charge of this. Look at your usage through a comprehensive audit, and keep track by taking meter readings at least quarterly and ideally monthly. In this way, you can track your usage – when you use more, when you use less – and highlight areas where you can make savings. Some of these will be obvious, some you may not have thought of, but following any or all of our energy saving tips will help you reduce energy costs for your business and show your commitment to corporate social responsibility.
3, Don’t be a slave to air con
Air conditioning in a hot and stuffy office is an essential for the comfort of your staff, and in a hot summer – and with global warming – a comfortable temperature when it’s boiling outside is a must, but we all know that air con is an energy guzzler and there are ways to reduce its usage without switching it off altogether. A good temperature to aim for is 21C, although your staff may have an alternative temperature in mind. Have it on an economy setting and turn it off altogether if the ambient temperature is comfortable. Have your air conditioning units and system serviced regularly, as this will help to ensure it is running at optimum use of energy.
4, Move with the times
We all know that by turning lights off when we leave a room saves energy - and we also know that, with the best will in the world, we sometimes forget. So why not think about installing motion sensors. These ensure lights come on and stay on when people are moving about the room; when all is still, they turn the lights off. A brilliant energy saving device for the office. Also useful for a business’s meeting rooms, kitchens and toilets – in fact, you could even put motion sensors in the stationery cupboard!
5, Generate your own power
We read every day about the increasing use and availability of renewable energy, in particular solar and wind energy. While these are being developed on a national scale, it is quite possible that your business could be taking advantage of your own power, through microgeneration of energy and at the same time reducing your commercial energy bills. Through installing photovoltaic panels which run off daylight, or using wind turbines that take advantage of the blustery days, you can generate power all year round and reduce the cost of your business electricity. They have the double advantage that if you generate more electricity than you need, you can sell it back to the National Grid through the feed-in tariff system.
6, It’s boiling!
Kettles take a surprising amount of electricity to come to the boil, and with tea and coffee fuelling the workforce, if you have a kettle in the kitchen it’s probably very well used!
But you can reduce its energy consumption in three ways. Firstly, only boil the amount of water you need – many kettles have a gauge on the outside which indicate how many cups worth of water you’re boiling.
Second, only boil once. It’s all too easy to pop the kettle on, walk away, come back and re-boil it, so try to avoid doing this, finally, make sure you descale the kettle. In hardwater areas, the scale builds up and hampers your kettle’s efficiency, but you can get rid of this using a simple vinegar solution, kinder to you and to the planet. Why not add kettle usage protocol to your energy management system?
7, Shut it!
Make sure you and your team keep doors and window shut, or you’ll find yourself heating the outside world. If you have an air conditioning system this is equally important in the summer months, as air con will be working overtime if the windows are open. By keeping doors and windows closed you will help reduce your commercial energy bills.
8, Power down
This is another easy win, yet how many times have we left the office without turning off our computer? Leaving it running is wasteful, even if it does go into sleep mode. In fact, leaving any electrical items on standby when not necessary is a waste of electricity. Where possible, turn off electrical appliances – computers included.
9, Modernise your office
As part of your energy management audit, why not take a look at the appliances you use? More modern appliances are far more energy efficient than older models. So take a look at your fridge, kettle, printer and computers. Are they energy guzzlers? Could you make an energy saving by replacing them? There is an initial cost to this, but you can factor this into your budgeting and replace them gradually: an initial outlay for a longer term gain.
10, A gentle reminder for the team
Adopting energy efficient practices is all well and good, but people have to follow them and by people we mean your team, so why not put up signs or posters reminding all your staff of your commitment to cutting energy costs and helping the planet at the same time? They could be simple ‘how to’ guides which provide a gentle nudge to the team. We hope you find these energy saving tips for your business useful. We try to follow them ourselves and have found them a great way to cut the cost of business electricity here at Commercial Energy Group HQ, and of course, we have found ourselves the most cost-effective provider. Why not take a look to see how you can save up to 30% on your commercial energy bills?