With business energy reduction high on the priorities list, companies are looking at all the ways to save energy. We’ve made a list of energy saving recommendations to give businesses somewhere to start.
1. Increase Energy Awareness
Inform the staff and building users of how much energy really costs. This could appear on the companies dashboard, intranet or staff rooms. You could also highlight where most of the energy in the building is used and what times of the day is consumption highest.
This is also an opportunity for the company to explain what initiatives are currently in place to reduce the business spend.
Some companies may like to try a suggestion box, where employees could come up with ideas to reduce energy with the aim to create interest around the subject.
Generally, energy management will only work well with full engagement of the site’s staff.
2. Switch It Off!
The most basic energy management tool is to switch off anything that is superfluous! People seem to be much better at this in their own home than at work! Switch it off sign, stickers and screen savers could be used to remind staff to switch computers, printers and other business appliances off during out-of-office periods.
Where possible this could be monitored and good behavior could be rewarded.
3. Turn Down!
The next most basic energy management tool is to optimise set points on room temperatures by just 1 degrees celsius can cut heating or cooling bills by £75 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
4. Check Supplier Tariff Rates
If you haven’t switched your energy supplier in the last three years, there’s a good chance you could improve the tariff rates.
5. Review Your Usage To Find Out What You Use & When
The most basic energy monitoring tool is a review of any meter reads with the historical billing information in both fiscal and usage terms.
Being more detailed, any automated meter readings (AMR) will provide data down to half hour resolution to review what was actually used and when.
Even in a domestic situation energy monitors are readily available for real-time energy usage information.
6. Update Lighting
By suiting the best lighting type and rating for the size of room with switching off lights when not in use will optimise upon power usages.
Energy-saving light bulbs can help you cut your energy bills easily. If you replace all the light bulbs in your house with energy-saving ones, you could save about £60 a year.
In addition energy-saving light bulbs last longer than traditional ones – most CFLs claim lifetimes upwards of 6,000 hours and LEDs around 25,000 hours, whereas traditional light bulbs last around 1,000 hours.
7. Draught-proofing
Stopping heating or cooling from escaping will save energy in the following areas:
- Windows
- Doors
- Chimney and fireplace
- Floorboards and skirting
- Loft hatches
Using a thermal imaging/ infrared camera would help businesses to identify areas of draughts within properties.
8. Choose Cheaper-to-Run Appliances
If you’re replacing an office appliance or key piece of business machinery or equipment, by opting for the most energy-efficiency model, you can cut your business electricity bills significantly. The more energy efficient the model, the lower the running costs.
9. Improve Heating & Cooling System Standards
Replacing an old gas boiler with a new condensing model or an older air conditioning system with a heat recovery one will optimise upon your energy usages.
New equipment is expensive so a business case is needed to ascertain if it’s worth replacing or its more economical to repair.
The boiler controls/programmer have a major input upon the energy usage so their settings are crucial.
10. Improve Insulation Standards
Insulating pipework, fittings, walls and lofts can save you a lot of wasted energy. An energy survey using an infrared camera, can determine heat loss and potential energy savings.
