Any experienced business owner will always be searching for effective methods to lower or streamline costs.
And even though it may appear obvious to shut computers down and turn off the lights when a business closes for the day to lower electricity costs. There may be crucial opportunities you are losing out on, to save on costs when it comes to your water and gas bills.
If your company relies on central heating that operates off gas, it is important to find the most favorable deals on commercial water and gas and to implement the necessary measures to make sure your company is operating efficiently.
According to Josco Energy here are 7 important tips that you can use to lower your utility and energy costs:
- Insulate Your Building
Insulation is a cheap and easy method to reduce the amount of gas required to keep the rooms in the building heated. Depending on the building type that your business occupies, you might be able to insulate all the walls and the roof.
Even when your business has been running from the same property for many years, or you already know the building is insulated, it is always a good idea to check on the overall quality of the current insulation. Replacing the insulation in your roof is one of the easier fixes that will help to slow down heat loss.
When insulation is not an option, you can still check on your electrical fittings, doors, and windows to make sure heat is not escaping through hidden gaps or cracks. If you find gaps or cracks use draught-proofing which helps to retain heat in the building and keep your bills down.
When your working environment is properly insulated, the heat loss is less over the day, which means less energy will be required to maintain a warm building.
- Keep Your Thermostat Low
Nobody likes to work in an unsafe and cold environment, yet you are still able to save on water and gas costs and still keep your employees happy. By lowering your thermostat by 1°C, you can reduce your heating bills by as much as 10%.
This change might be small, but over a year it can make a drastic change to your overall energy bills, and still keep your employees comfortable.
- Heat The Rooms In The Building At Different Rates
Even by reducing the temperature on your thermostat in your attempt to save money on energy bills, energy may still be wasted when heating all the rooms to the same temperature.
The rooms that your staff use the most often like workspaces and offices require a comfortable and consistent temperature in order for your teams to operate. Yet the areas that receive less foot traffic like storage spaces don’t require the same level of heating. These are the spaces where you can lower the temperature by a couple of degrees, which can translate into phenomenal savings over the year.
When you adjust valves on each radiator you can change the amount of gas which translates into heat that each room uses.
- Monitor Your Water Usage
It is common that your workforce may be wasting water without even knowing it. Put up reminders in washrooms and the kitchen areas to assist your employees to be more mindful.
This could include putting up polite and friendly notices around the communal areas to offer a reminder to not leave taps running, and to make sure they are completely turned off when they are finished using them. A tap left running can waste over 6 liters of water every minute, while a tap left to drip can waste over 5,500 liters in a year.
If your company uses appliances that use water like washing machines or dishwashers, invest in energy-efficient models. They will save electricity and water, helping you to cut your costs further.
- Invest In A Timer
Keeping any room in the building heated while it is not in use is a huge waste. This also applies to hot water. When not needed, make sure it is turned off. Yet it could be complex as well as take up a lot of your time to try and maintain this manually.
An automatic timer is the solution to this problem.
When you add timers to your hot water supply and heating, you can make sure that these resources are only used during business hours. It will come as a surprise how this will positively impact on your current energy bills.
- Install Smart Meters
You may already know about the advantages of Smart Meters to track electricity usage, and you can use these for your water and gas too.
A Smart Meter installation to monitor water and gas supply in your office, ensures that you are only paying for energy used, which can be beneficial for SME’s that usually do not use loads of energy.
A Smart Meter is an excellent way to stay on track of how much water and gas your company uses, allowing you to make adjustments when the consumption spikes.
- Upgrade Equipment
Even when taking care when it comes to the energy and water that you use, outdated equipment will impact your bills. Old radiators, ancient boilers, and outdated fridges and dishwashers can negatively impact your pocket in association with the operational costs. When you upgrade to models that are eco-friendly, this will help you to save on what you were currently spending.
This extends further than just your big appliances. You can also improve your energy usage by installing up-to-date taps and toilets. Upgrading toilets from the 1980-1994 model, you can save around 16,000 gallons of water every year, while replacing a toilet made before 1980, could translate into saving 27,000 gallons every year.
It may cost a bit up front, but the latest appliances usually contribute to significant savings when it comes to your utility bills.
