As a business owner, you may not realize that the cost of electricity is a significant expense for your business – an average of around $650 per month for most commercial businesses.
If you want to stay competitive and make sure that you are budgeting efficiently, it’s important to understand how to save money on your electricity bills.
Here’s what you need to know.
How Business Owners Can Reduce Their Electricity Bill
While reducing electricity use can be an intimidating task, there are several simple steps you can take that will make a huge difference in your bottom line. Below, we’ll discuss 9 tips to incorporate as part of your business’ energy strategy.
1. Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Office Equipment
Many office appliances these days use significantly less energy than their older counterparts.
Replacing old equipment with newer models could save you a lot of money on your monthly electric bills. Be sure to look for the ENERGY STAR label when shopping for new office appliances. This will help ensure that you get the most energy-efficient model available.
2. Conduct an Energy Audit
Have a professional energy auditor come in and assess how much energy your business is using and where it is being wasted. They can then recommend ways to reduce usage and save money on your electric bills.
An audit can also help uncover potential problems that need to be fixed in order to ensure the safety of your employees and customers.
3. Reduce Peak Demand
Peak demand refers to times of day when businesses use more electricity than usual due to increased activity. Reducing peak demand can help lower your overall electricity use and save money on your bills.
You can do this by scheduling tasks or activities that require large amounts of energy during off-peak hours or by installing smart devices like occupancy sensors or timers which turn off lights and machines automatically when not needed.
4. Get Employees on Board
Your employees should be aware of how their actions affect the company’s electricity bill, so it’s important that they understand what steps they can take to reduce their own energy consumption at work.
Make sure everyone knows about simple things like turning off computers at night, using LED light bulbs instead of traditional ones, and unplugging chargers when not in use.
5. Turn Lights Off – and Use Energy-Efficient Bulbs
Installing LED bulbs throughout the office is one of the easiest ways to drastically reduce electricity usage while still providing enough lighting for employees to do their jobs effectively.
Also, make sure all lights are turned off whenever possible—even if it’s just for a few minutes—as this will help conserve energy over time as well as lower costs on monthly electric bills.
6. Program the Thermostats
Installing thermostats that allow you to program temperatures throughout the day will help keep heating and cooling costs down since you won’t have any unexpected spikes in temperature during peak hours or times when no one is around in the building anyway.
7. Prevent Phantom Energy
Some appliances continue using small amounts of power even after they are switched off—a phenomenon known as phantom power loss or standby power loss—so make sure all unnecessary machines are unplugged every night before leaving work so you don’t waste any excess energy unnecessarily!
8. Rethink the Landscaping
Believe it or not, the landscape around your business can actually affect its electricity bill!
Planting trees around buildings can provide shade which helps keep temperatures cooler during summer months while also blocking out cold winds during winter months—thereby reducing both air conditioning and heating costs!
Also, adding strategic landscaping features like ponds or waterfalls can create natural cooling effects which further reduce reliance on air conditioning systems during hot summer months.
9. Install Solar Panels
Another way to reduce your electricity bill is by installing solar panels on your roof or in other areas around your building. Solar panels are becoming increasingly affordable and they provide clean, renewable energy directly from the sun’s rays.
This means that you won’t have to rely on traditional sources of energy (which can be expensive) for electricity and can instead generate it yourself – for free! Plus, many states offer incentives for businesses who install solar panels, so check with your local government offices for more information about those programs.
Final Thoughts
Saving money on business electricity costs doesn’t have to be a daunting task; there are plenty of ways for business owners to reduce their expenses while still ensuring their operations run smoothly and efficiently.
By understanding how best to reduce energy consumption and take advantage of any applicable discounts from the utility company, business owners can keep their bottom line looking healthy without sacrificing operational quality or customer service standards.
Ultimately, saving money on electricity bills helps businesses stay competitive in today’s market while still maintaining a responsible attitude towards environmental conservation and sustainability efforts – making it a win-win situation for everyone involved!
