20 Energy Saving Tips To Reduce Business Energy Costs
Conserve Energy Future
Running a business can be a difficult venture. It can become even more difficult when you consider the different types of costs you’ll run into when you’re starting up. Employee salaries, benefits, products, rental space and much more – all of these factors can impact your budget and will have to be taken into consideration when you’re creating and running your business. However, something many people don’t consider is the cost of energy and efficiency when you’re operating. Electricity, hydro, water and gas can be costly as well especially if you’re working long days or have a wealth of these different energies throughout the week. In order to reduce costs in your business when it comes to energy, there are a variety of different factors you need to consider. By assessing the needs of your employees and your customers when it comes to providing quality and standard energy, you’ll be able to make a plan that helps you cut costs where you need it the most.
Some essential tips come from the way you are already choosing to operate. Many people are surprised that what they do on a day-to-day basis for their business can actually have a great influence over their energy costs.
You can even use this opportunity to promote different kinds of energy change within the office. Here is a list of things you can do with your employees to promote energy conservation while at work:
- Establish energy efficient practices: Depending on the utility company you are paying, they usually have off to high peak times during the day. Try your best to only use excess energy during the low or off peak times. Encourage your employees to follow this same model and see how the energy usage decreases with more initiative.
- Get energy audit done: Hire an energy audit company let it do energy audit of your office. Many utility companies offer a free energy audit program to ensure that you are using energy efficiently. Give them a call and see if they can help you identify areas to trim down your energy needs.
- Replace existing bulbs with LEDs: LED bubls consume less power and run longer. Energy Star bulbs last longer and use about 75 percent less energy than standard light bulbs.
- Use hibernation feature of computers and laptops: Hibernate feature in laptops and desktops allows you to save your existing work as it is and you can continue from the same point next day. Schedule your workstation to switch to hibernate mode after working hours and during weekends.
- Reduce Paper Wastage: Print only when necessary. This will not only reduce paper wastage but also helps to cut energy required to run printer which in turn reduces your energy cost and makes life of your printer longer.
- Buy energy efficient devices: Energy efficient devices cost more up front but over years of use, they’re going to save you money. This hold true for any equipment that run on electricity – spending a little more can result in significant savings over years.
- Invest in programmable thermostat: A programmable thermostat has the capability to automatically adjust the temperature of your workplace when no one is working. Less air conditioning can result in significant savings for your business.
- Lookout for small drafts that may leak the air: Small drafts can result in businesses losing substantial portions of their heating and cooling costs. Proper air sealing of the work environment can eliminate those drafts.
- Keep control of your heating and cooling: Keeping your office temperature one degree down during winters and one degree up during summers can reduce the power it uses by up to 10%.
- Encourage employees to take part in brainstorming sessions: Saving energy is not the sole responsibility of business owners. Employees must be delegated responsibility to come out with their own innovative ideas to cut down energy costs. Employers often underestimate the ideas of their employees, so having an open dialogue about the things that could be changed about energy usage in your business is very important. This will allow you to create energy efficient work culture in your company.
- Take advantage of tax breaks for energy efficiency: Local government may provide tax incentives when you buy energy saving appliances for your business use that helps to reduce your energy usage. Even some public utility companies offer rebates for energy saving measures.