Increased energy bills have left many SMEs and large-scale businesses looking for ways to reduce their outgoings.
The current economic climate is proving problematic for companies across the nation, with many businesses eager to lower running costs without sacrificing their productivity outputs.
Reducing costs doesn’t always have to mean making cuts. Instead, making small, sustainable swaps can have a huge impact on both your carbon footprint and your outgoings. Going green can be a cost-effective way of reducing energy consumption and your bills in the process – with that being said, here are six small changes you can make to reduce your business’s bills and improve its efficiency…
1. Go paperless
Ditch the paper and go digital! From swapping letters and leaflets for email newsletters and e-brochures, to opting for online forms rather than physical paperwork, reducing your paper consumption can reduce your carbon footprint and eliminate the costs associated with printing.
2. Switch your light bulbs
Investing in LED light bulbs reduces your energy consumption dramatically and can save you a considerable amount of money in energy bills. LED light bulbs can also last up to 10 years before they need replacing, so a small upfront investment can have an undisputable long-term impact!
3. Control your heating
There are so many ways of controlling your heating, and not all of them require investing in any new technology! A timer or programmer is your best friend when it comes to controlling when your heating and hot water comes on, and off. This can ensure that your heating isn’t being used when nobody is in the building.
If you would like to have even more control over your heating system, thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) allow you to control the temperature of your individual radiators, so you can turn down the heat in rooms you are not using. You could also invest in a room thermostat to prevent your heating system from using more fuel than it needs to.
4. Maintain your space and equipment
Another way of ensuring that your business is operating efficiently is to prioritise the maintenance of your equipment. This can even extend to cleaning light fittings and windows, keeping ventilation and compressed air filters clean, and even checking door seals and ensuring that any holes or leaks are repaired.
5. Turn it off
If your business operates machines, ensuring that motors are turned off when not in use can have a huge impact on your energy outputs. As motors are hidden within machinery, they are often forgotten and left running when not in use. You can save energy by taking care to turn off motors during breaks or job changes.
Similarly, unless your company backs up your computers at night, make sure to turn your computers and other office equipment off once you have finished with it. If there is a nightly backup, then just turn off the monitor.
6. Make it measurable
Monitoring your progress when it comes to sustainability can help you keep on track – using tools such as the Zellar Carbon Footprint Calculator will help you hold yourself accountable.
Similarly, tracking any reductions in your energy bills each month will help you to get a better picture of your accumulative savings, providing you with a better understanding of the impact of the swaps you have made – small wins are still wins nonetheless!
