Top 5 Energy Saving Tips for Businesses
As businesses continue to be more mindful of their energy consumption than ever before, understanding the steps that can be taken to save energy is vital. With all the active elements of running a business, energy saving practices can easily fall by the wayside. However, with the rising energy bills observed over the recent years, it is increasingly important that businesses turn their attention to generating more energy efficient practices. If businesses take steps to reduce their energy bills, the savings made can be reinvested into other areas of the business. Not only does saving energy have financial benefits but environmental ones too – with using less energy or switching to renewable energy sources reducing the demand for fossil fuels to power our businesses.
In this blog from Cook Brown Energy, we outline our top 5 ways to reduce energy for businesses. For more information about our range of commercial energy assessment services, get in touch today.
Switch Energy Supplier
When it comes to reducing energy bills, changing energy supplier is often a first thought. With different providers offering varying tariffs, failing to shop around and research options can leave your business overpaying for your energy. In many instances, shopping around for the best deal can lead providers to further reduce their prices in the attempt to secure your custom. In addition to investigating a change in supplier, contacting your supplier and ensuring you’re on the best deal for your business can also grant simple access to new tariffs. Often, if your business has been with a provider for a while, new options may be available that did not exist when you join. In short, make sure to always be looking around for the best deal for your business!
Switch Off Computers & Other Equipment
For many businesses, ensuring that computers and other electronics are switched off at night can be challenging. With different members of staff being responsible for different equipment, unanimous following of instructions can be tricky to come by. However, turning off computers and other equipment overnight can make a real difference to your energy bill, whether your business uses only a handful of computers or hundreds! Research conducted by British Gas suggests, leaving a single pc or desktop computer on standby can cost more than £10 per year! With this in mind, encouraging staff to correctly turn off their electronics when they leave at the end of the day…could save you 100s of pounds per year!
Maintain Office Conditions
An uncomfortable office can have a significant impact on workers’ productivity. However, simply running heating on maximum whenever requested can quickly lead to soaring energy bills. Luckily, there are a range of solutions to keeping your space warm without simply turning up your heating dial!
Firstly, selecting when and where heating is used offers a money saving foundation. Only using heating during essential periods and excluding unoccupied rooms ensures energy is not being wasted – it also goes without saying that turning your thermostat down at night-time or when the premises is vacant for more than four hours.
It should also be noted that the small gaps around windows and doors can easily lead to escaping heat. Regularly checking these seals and resealing them should they need can also help reduce heat loss! Traditional methods such as installing wall and ceiling insulation can also offer valuable energy saving benefits. As with residential properties, insulating a space can be a worthwhile investment when looking to reduce the amount of energy used by your business.
Another premises maintenance measure would be ensuring that heaters, radiators and air vents are kept clear. Not only does this measure reduce fire risks, it also ensures that these devices are performing as efficiently as possible – not hindered by build-up or blockages.
Commercial EPCs with Cook Brown Energy
At Cook Brown we provide commercial EPCs for a range of commercial property types. These are a legal requirement if you buy or lease a commercial premises.
This assessment involves on of our qualitied non-domestic energy assessors (NDEAs) inspecting your property. As part of this service we provide you with recommendations and guiances to ensure your property is not only compliant now but compliant in the future.
Find out more about our commercial EPCs >
Be Mindful of Water Use
While bills for hot water tend to be larger for residential properties, it is still important that businesses keep a keen eye on their water usage. Monitoring time frames within which hot water is available and keeping an eye out for dripping taps are all simple ways of reducing energy wastage.
Research into workplace energy consumption also suggests that certain employee habits have a role to play wasteful energy usage. If your workforce regularly enjoy coffee breaks, you may wish to note the energy inefficiency associated with overfilling your kettle beyond the volume of water needed by a group.
If your premises has a kitchen facility, energy saving practices can also extend to other appliances. Dishwashers in particular often come with energy saving settings or can be manually turned off after their rinse cycle to preserve energy.
Flexible or Remote Working
In the wake of the pandemic, work from home structures gained overwhelming popularity. However, the benefits of working from home are not limited to protecting your workforce. Having fewer staff members on site has a knock-on effect on the amount of energy used. Fewer in person workers means less office equipment running, fewer lights on, and far less need for heating – all of which have a lessening effect on energy use.
Commercial Energy Assessment with Cook Brown Energy
Here at Cook Brown Energy, we provide professional energy consultancy services suited to both commercial and residential environments. Our energy assessment services cover SAP, MEES, and EPCs in addition to many other energy assessment varieties. With offices across England and Wales, we have worked across ranging residential and commercial projects and are committed to supplying high quality consultancy throughout a range of contexts. To speak to a member of our team about our services, get in touch today or visit our website for a quote.