5 Simple Ways to Reduce Energy Costs in the Office and Save Money – Energy costs are becoming unbearable for many businesses across the UK, so it’s important to continuously look for ways to cut costs and save money. Below are five simple ways to reduce energy costs in your office so that you can relieve the strain on your budget.
Turn Down the Heating
Turning down the heating by as little as 1 degree could save your business money. This means turning down your heating by several degrees (whilst ensuring your employees still feel comfortable) is a simple way to improve energy efficiency and cut energy costs.
If you do this, you should speak to your employees about dressing appropriately for the weather. This might mean relaxing your dress code for non-customer-facing employees, as wearing comfortable, warm clothes will make a big difference for employees if you want to turn down the heating.
Add More Natural Light
Natural light is the best light source for our eyes and a simple way to reduce energy costs. By adding more natural light, you can turn off artificial lighting and also help to heat the office space on sunny days.
Try opening all shutters and blinds during the day. If this will make it difficult for employees to see their PC, see if you can move the office around to utilise natural light without impacting your employees’ ability to work.
Switch Energy Suppliers
Most suppliers don’t automatically give discounts to long-term customers, meaning many businesses could save by switching to whoever has the best deals at the time. Whilst you’re at it, you should use a comparison website to compare not just energy but water and internet prices too.
Comparison tools like The Business Water Shop can be used to find the best business water contracts in your UK postcode. Compare business water rates to create savings in your budget that can be used on other essential costs, such as marketing.
Speak to Your Employees
By having an honest discussion with your employees, they can be more aware of their energy usage and how they can help your business to cut costs. This may be as simple as boiling the kettle less (yes, we’ve all been guilty of boiling it and re-boiling it five minutes later because we forgot about it).
You can also discuss other ways to cut unnecessary energy costs, like turning laptops to sleep mode during breaks and ensuring all plugs and PCs are turned off if you’re the last one out the door. This is also a fantastic way to teach employees the importance of being eco-friendly in the workspace.
Understand Your Business Energy Usage
It can be much easier to cut costs when you understand how much energy your business uses. When you bring in ways to cut costs, you can also see how these affect your bills and metre readings. Installing a smart meter is the easiest way to understand your energy usage. Many energy suppliers will fit these for free, so speak to your supplier if you want to track your energy usage more closely.
These five simple tips can get you started with cutting energy costs in the office so that you can make better use of your budget. Watching energy prices rise can be daunting, but making small changes will make a big difference.
Poppy Watt