Guest Blog: Ways to Make Your Business Energy Efficient in 2020

Emerging writer Amy Hendrix has taken to the blog to share some top tips when it comes to making your business more energy efficient…

Any business needs to be profitable in order to survive. In order to make sure that this happens, business owners need to ensure that their expenditure is no higher than it needs to be. One way of doing this is to reduce the amount they spend on energy bills.

The best way to reduce this expenditure is to pay strict attention to the way that energy is used. There are several steps that businesses can take in order to optimise energy usage and expenditure.

Turning off appliances that are not being used

It’s easy for appliances to get left on in a business premises. For instance, employees often leave computers on so they do not have the issue of waiting for them to boot up all the time.  Leaving appliances on in this way can quickly cause energy expenses to mount up.

This is why businesses need to put rules in place to ensure that employees know the importance of switching off computers, and any other electrical outlets, when they are not being used. It’s also good practice for businesses to make sure that the last person to leave the building in the evening knows to make sure that all appliances are turned off.

Having energy usage assessed 

Having energy performance assessed allows a business to recognise any steps that it needs to take in order to improve its energy efficiency levels. Energy Efficiency Specialists in London can help large scale businesses in this way by assessing their energy efficiency and providing advice about how it can be improved.

An energy assessment only takes a few hours to complete and there is minimal disruption to the business while the assessment is happening. Once the assessment is complete the business is awarded an energy efficiency rating. There are seven available ratings, from A which is the highest to G which is the lowest.

Use power saving where possible

Power saving mode is often available on office equipment such as computers and printers. Using this mode means that the device automatically hibernates when it has not been used for a certain period of time. This means that if people forget to switch a device off when they are not using it power is still saved.

It’s normally fairly easy to to activate power saving on a device. Businesses simply need to check the manuals and instructions that come with a device.

Use power strips throughout the office

Office equipment still uses power even if it has been switched off, unless the power is turned off at the wall. This is why it’s so important to make sure that all sockets are turned off when equipment is not in use.

The easiest way to make sure that this happens is to make use of power strips. This is because it’s simple and quick to simply switch off a power strip which in turn makes sure that all the attached devices are switched off.

Make use of renewable energy sources

Renewable energy is constantly being mentioned in the news due to its importance in protecting the environment. This is one reason why it makes sense for a business to invest in renewable energy. Doing so means that the business is seen as being responsible.

The other obvious advantage of using renewable energy is that it’s cost-effective in the long term. There is obviously a need for an initial investment in items such as solar panels. However, using this type of renewable energy leads to a significant reduction in energy costs. This helps to reduce the expenditure of a business and increase its profits.

Use thermostats in business premises

Obviously, it’s important for a business to sustain the correct temperature in its premises, during office hours. However, temperature levels are usually not as important when the premises are not occupied.

This is why using programmable thermostats is a good idea. This is because a thermostat can be programmed to raise and lower temperatures at specific times. This means that business premises are not heated unnecessarily, helping to improve energy efficiency.

Expenditure on energy can be a major concern for many businesses. This is why it makes sense for business owners to do all they can to improve the energy efficiency of their business. Doing so helps to reduce costs and improve profits. It also reflects well on the business as it indicates a high level of responsibility. This is important for any business that wants to attract and retain a good customer base.

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