Reducing Energy Spend

The Rising Cost of Energy has long been a cause for concern. Although the government announcement of the Bill Relief Scheme will go some way to stemming the worry of spiralling costs, it’s important to point out that it’s the wholesale unit rates that are capped, not the annual bill. The full details are still unclear, but the cap, or ‘Support Price’ for electricity and gas is less than half the wholesale price anticipated for this winter.

As a business, managing and reducing your energy spend has got to be top of the agenda. So in these times of uncertainty, how can you try to maximise your energy savings?

There are some quick and easy ways to reduce energy costs:

Conduct an energy audit

An energy audit is designed to identify where energy is in use and the financial impact that it has on your business. As well as identifying usage, the audit should include suggestions for how to reduce usage.  

Review or change your energy supplier

Tying yourself into a contract that might not be suitable for the needs of the business or switching energy providers can be a minefield to navigate, especially if you have multiple sites. 

Suppliers often offer different tariffs and you need to find the tariff that’s right for your business. A quick and simple way to find the most effective and competitive contract to suit your needs is to go to an energy and procurement specialist. 

However, if you decide to go this route, it’s important to work with energy experts who have preferably been referred or recommended, have a good track record and who can also look after every aspect of your energy needs.

Lighting

If you can, instead of using lights during the day, let the natural light in. Alternatively, if you are still using incandescent lightbulbs, it would be worth considering making the switch to LEDs. They use over 75% less energy than incandescent lighting and have a much longer shelf life, saving money all round.

Be diligent

It’s important to use lighting and electrical appliances efficiently. Remembering to switch off lights when you’re not in a room will have a positive impact on your energy use.  If you have areas of high traffic, where lighting is important, you might want to think about installing motion sensors.

Although it might be easier to leave some electrical equipment – TVs, microwaves, tumble dryers, computers, printers, etc on standby, it’s worth remembering that they still consume energy. 

Known as a ‘Phantom Load’, they can cost a UK household an average of £147 per annum. So imagine what it could be costing you as a business! Remembering to ‘switch off when not in use’ will definitely have a positive impact on your bottom line.

Energy efficient equipment

All electrical appliances are graded on their efficiency. Ranging  from A+++ to G (A+++ being the best), the lower the product’s consumption, the better the grade. Next time that you have to replace equipment within your business, it might be worth checking the grade before you make the purchase.

Get the team onboard

Being an energy saving ambassador is great, but it will be significantly more impactful if everyone in the team is onboard. Educate and encourage your staff to be aware and mindful of how they can help.

Want help or advice?

As an independent consultancy specialising in reducing business costs in essential expenditure, we have a team of trained specialists who work on our clients’ behalf to establish the most suitable and competitive deals in the marketplace.

If you are concerned about your energy costs and would like some no-obligation advice, get in touch with us at: admin@bse-limited.co.uk