Simple Ways to Reduce Your Business Energy Costs

Featured article by Calvin Page, IT Specialist

When running a business, utility bills are dropped like clockwork on your desk on a monthly basis. Supply bills, communications bills, and energy bills all amount to a large chunk from the bottom line of your business, and a smart business owner will look for effective ways to cut back on some of that spending. In order to help you keep your energy bills low and save some of the profit that you make, we’ve put together a list of effective energy saving strategies.

Get an Energy Audit

Many energy companies offer a free energy audit program which will help to ensure that you are using your energy efficiently. It may be a good idea to call up your energy supplier and ask if they can send out somebody to audit your building and check if there are ways you could save some energy.

Use Energy Efficient Light Bulbs

The more energy efficient bulbs that you use to light your building, the better. If you were to use a single bulb for ten hours per day, switching that bulb from one that is sixty watts to a more energy efficient eighteen-watt bulb will save you around $1.30 per month. Although this may not seem like a lot, if you add up all the different bulbs that your building uses over a period of a year, you are looking at some considerable savings.

Use a Programmable Thermostat

A programmable thermostat can be set to automatically update the temperature of your workplace during the hours where the building is not in occupation. Although it may cost you to buy a thermostat initially, just a couple of nights not having the air conditioning running or heating turned on unnecessarily will probably save you enough to cover the cost.

Establish Energy Efficient Standards of Practice

You should ensure that all of your employees are trained to establish energy efficient standards of practice. Make sure that the routine for ‘closing up shop’ at the end of the day involves switching off as much electrical equipment as possible, switching off lights, making sure that doors are closed, and so on. The more energy efficient tasks that you can involve in your routine, the more money you will save.

Invest in Energy Efficient Items

Although investing in items such as an energy efficient microwave for the break room may cost you more initially, in the long run, the amount of energy that this will save will also save you money. The same principle applies to virtually any piece of equipment that you purchase – spending more on an item that is eco-friendly and energy efficient is worth it as you will save more over years of use.

Air Seal the Building

Many companies use substantial amounts of unnecessary energy due to small drafts that may go unnoticed by employees. However, a careful air sealing of the building can help to eliminate these drafts and keep the expensive warm or cool air inside.

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