Energy costs a business money, but businesses can control those costs. With a little effort, support from employees, and a clear focus, you can significantly reduce your business's energy bills without interfering with day-to-day operations. So, without further ado, here are 12 tips from Josco Energy Corp for creating an energy-efficient business:
1. Unplug/turn off all equipment at the end of each workday or whenever it is not in use. Be sure to include appliances like vending machines, microwaves, printers and other machines your company uses.
2. Turn on energy-saving features or sleep-mode settings on electrical equipment when available. Furthermore, don't enable screensavers and try to limit printing to only essential documents.
3. Turn off all lights in areas not in use – you could also think about installing motion sensors to ensure lights are only switched on in areas where needed.
4. Turn down the thermostat – don't make the environment too cold for customers, clients, investors or employees, of course, but turning down the thermostat a few tenths of a degree, while still being mindful of comfort levels, can dramatically reduce energy use. For instance, a one-degree reduction can reduce heating bills by as much as 10%. Furthermore, never open windows when the heating switches on. If the environment gets too hot, simply reduce the set-point temp. on the thermostat.
5. Switch off the heating – ensure the heating never comes on when there is nobody in the building. Even if your business has been fortunate enough to avail of the best gas rates in the nation, heating unoccupied buildings is like flushing money down the toilet.
6. Take steps to improve building energy efficiency – you can start doing this by eliminating drafts, switching to a programmable thermostat, installing insulation, and replacing all old lighting fixtures with LED lighting. There are additional basic things you can do to save energy, including ensuring radiators are not obstructed by furniture.
7. Take advantage of natural light – instead of using artificial lighting, open the blinds. Also, ensure all skylights are windows are kept clean to enable as much sunlight as possible to enter the building.
8. Replace all outdated electrical equipment – modern electrical equipment is much more energy-efficient and can considerably reduce energy bills. While new equipment has an initial investment cost, over time it will save you money.
9. Permit employees to telecommute from home – there are many beneficial business reasons for making such a decision, but becoming a more green business is certainly one factor. Furthermore, with fewer employees on-site, energy consumption costs go down.
10. Work to get staff on board – you can do this by holding discussions about energy use and encouraging employees to be proactive about reducing regular use of power. When employees buy-in to the reasons why conversing energy is important, it will be much less difficult to lower energy costs.
11. Submit meter readings to your electricity supplier on a regular basis – by doing so, your bills will be more accurate.
12. Schedule regular boiler services to ensure the device is running efficiently.