When a business starts, it has to incur some costs. Costs are expenses a business has as it is running. Some of the costs a business will incur can include:
- Rent: Rent is incurred if the business is on a premise where rent has to be paid. A business owner can decide to take a mortgage or a loan to get a place for their business.
- Wages: this is the money paid out to employees a business might have. Different businesses have different ranges of wages.
- Equipment: for a business to run effectively, it needs to have equipment. These can include printers, machines, and more.
- Insurance: a business has to be insured. Insurance will protect a business from fire, accidents, theft, and natural disasters.
- Marketing and advertising: a business owner needs to set aside funds for advertising and marketing the business.
- Energy bills: A business will incur these bills every day. It is essential to know how to save energy while running a business.
Energy prices have gone up over the years. It is essential to reduce the amount of energy used in a business. It will help a business save some money. How then can you reduce energy costs and save? This article will give you ways to reduce business energy costs and save.
Reducing a business’s energy bills starts with the people involved in the business. The little things matter. Start by reducing the energy and electricity consumption in the business. Do this by:
Use natural lighting
It is essential to get a premise for your business. When deciding on where to have the location for your business, you should put several things into consideration. Consider renting up a place with large windows. Large windows come in handy during the day. The business will reduce the electricity consumption costs by opening the blinds and letting natural light. The employees do not have light bulbs on if the window blinds are open. Allowing natural light in will reduce the electricity consumption hence reducing the energy bills of the business.
Consider having solar energy
When a business starts, the business owner needs to know the alternatives he or she can have for energy. Consider solar energy. Solar energy is a renewable and sustainable source of energy. Solar energy is the cleanest form of energy and does not pollute the environment. Solar energy is always available.
Solar energy can be available even when there is not enough sunlight. As a business, deciding to use solar energy as the main source of power will help reduce energy costs and help the business save some money.
Buying solar panels might seem expensive at first but you will reduce electricity and energy consumption. Using solar energy will also help you keep the environment free from pollution.
Turn off equipment while not in use.
For a business to run, it needs to use some equipment. Most of this equipment uses a lot of energy and electricity. Some of this equipment can include desktops, printers, TVs, copiers, and monitors. As a business, you will reduce the energy costs spent by making sure this equipment is unplugged when not in use.
Always encourage the business’s employees to turn off any equipment they are not using. It will save energy, and electricity and will help the business to save a few coins.
Use LED bulbs
Most businesses have high business electricity costs because of the kind of bulbs the business uses. In some business premises, the bulbs are usually on throughout the working hours. It drains electricity leading to high electricity bills.
As a business, one way to reduce business energy costs is by using LED bulbs. LED bulbs consume less electricity will make the business reduce electricity consumption and save some money. LED bulbs last longer and are easily replaceable.
Have light sensors on your premises. Light sensors are useful because if there is no activity going on, the lights will automatically switch themselves off. You can also have different switches. These help in reducing energy consumption because one can decide the amount of brightness he or she wants.
Get energy-saving equipment
As a business owner, decide to purchase energy-saving equipment. Equipment such as energy-saving computers, monitors, printers, and copiers. Instead of using desktops, get laptops for the business. Laptops save more energy than desktops. It will help you save more energy and money. If you are running a small business, you can opt to buy a small printer and photocopy machine. It will help the business in reducing energy costs.
Get a different energy supplier
Different suppliers have different tariffs. If the current supplier has expensive tariffs, you can switch to another supplier. Before changing the business energy supplier, do your research. Ask around and get to know all the charges that the supplier charges and what the supplier offers. Some of the energy suppliers have hidden charges: make sure you get all the information you need. It will help the business to make the best decisions.
Conduct a maintenance
Some of the equipment a business has started to consume more energy and electricity when they become faulty. As a business owner, always check if the equipment is working well. Have occasional scheduled maintenance. It will help flag off any issues the equipment might have and have them fixed immediately. It will save the business energy costs and money.
Reduce the use of paper
Printers consume a lot of energy and electricity. In this day and era, many people are going the digital way. Why not do the same for your business? Unless necessary, do not use the printing machine to print documents. It will help the business to save money, energy, and electricity. Using less paper also helps in conserving the environment because fewer trees will be cut. Do any documentation online.
Get an audit done
Having an energy audit done for your business will help you know how to reduce energy consumption. It will also help the business know-how to reduce electricity consumption. During audits, the utility companies will seek to find if there are any faults in your energy systems and equipment. It will help the business identify and correct any fault.
Use fans
During the hot weather, you should make the working conditions favorable by using fans. Fans use less energy and electricity compared to air conditioners. You can have them installed at different places in your business area and ensure they are not left running after people leave work.
Get rechargeable batteries
Some equipment the business uses needs to be charged. Ensure the batteries being used are rechargeable. It will save the business some money because instead of throwing the batteries away when they die, the batteries will just need to be charged and they can be re-used.
Flexible working conditions
When the COVID-19 pandemic started, many businesses and companies started working remotely and from home. It was because there was a fear of spreading the virus in the workplaces and businesses. It however came with another advantage. The reduction of business energy costs, lead to more, saving.
Can your employees work from home or remotely? If yes, take advantage of it and have them work remotely. Working remotely enables a business to reduce the energy costs it spends when the employees are working from the business office. Another advantage of working remotely is the employees are more productive.
Transportation
Many businesses require employees to move from one place to another. Some businesses supply goods, which require movement. Fuel prices have gone up all over the world. When it comes to transportation, as a business, you need to come up with ways in which you can reduce fuel energy costs.
If you have some colleagues who live in the same neighborhood, you can use one car. This will help in reducing the fuel being used. It also helps in reducing pollution.
A business can use one car to deliver goods to its customers instead of using many cars to do one job. It will help in the reduction of business energy costs and the business will save some money. You can also use environmentally friendly fuel alternatives to reduce pollution.
Water usage
Water is a resource that should be available in all offices and business premises. People need water to live. Any business premises must have water available for its employees. The business should however be careful because people misuse this resource.
All employees should be taught the importance of conserving water. Encourage the employees to conserve water at any opportunity they get. Turning off the water while washing their hands is a practice all employees should have. If possible, your business should recycle the water used at the business premise.
Heaters
During winter and the cold seasons, the office will need heaters. Heaters help in keeping the employees warm while they work. If not used well, heaters use a lot of energy and consume a lot of electricity. You should replace the old heaters with new energy-saving heaters.
Insulating the water heaters will help the business reduce energy costs and save some money. During the summer, if people need to use heated water, they can use solar sustainable energy to heat their water.
Office Kitchens
Most offices have small kitchens. In these kitchens, you will find appliances like refrigerators, kettles, and dishwashers. To be able to conserve energy, the refrigerators need to be full. Empty refrigerators consume a lot of energy and electricity.
The business should also ensure that the office refrigerators undergo regular maintenance. It will enable the business to do any repairs fast enough to save and reduce energy and electricity consumption.
If possible, buy clear-door refrigerators. It helps someone spot what he or she wants in the refrigerator before opening the refrigerator. Make sure the refrigerators in the office have the energy-saving mark to help the business reduce energy costs and save some money.
If there are kettles in the kitchen, encourage your employees not to over-boil water using the kettles. Do not overfill the kettles with water. Overfilling leads to the use of more energy and electricity to heat the water. Putting the right amount of water in a kettle helps to reduce electricity and energy consumption.
Plant trees
Plant trees in your office compound. Trees provide shade from the hot sun. Trees also help to break strong winds. Encourage your employees to plant trees. Set aside days in which everybody in the business will participate in planting trees.
Having trees around the office will also make it cooler during hot days and the employees might not need to use fans and ACs.
Involve and train the employees
Reducing the business energy costs and saving money is not something a business owner can do alone. If you have employees, you should inform them of what the business is trying to do. The earlier the employees know about the business’s efforts to save and conserve energy the better.
Train the employees on ways, in which they can reduce the energy and electricity consumption while at work. Sensitize the need for the business electricity costs to be lower. Having brainstorming sessions with the employees on ways to reduce energy bills will also be helpful. The employees might have more ideas on how the business can reduce business energy and thus save some money.
Conclusion
A business can reduce energy costs and save money. It is a joint effort. If you have employees, let them know early enough of the business’s intention of reducing energy and electricity consumption. Everyone should play his or her role. Have energy-saving equipment for your business. Take advantage of sustainable and renewable sources of energy like solar energy. By following the steps above, your energy bills will reduce and you will be able to save more money. Looking to start a UK limited company? Check out Seed Formations for more information.