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Practical ways to reduce your business energy bill...

Practical ways to reduce your business energy bills

Not only do you have to contend with the mailman visiting your home, those infernal energy bills clutched tightly in his hands, but you also need to put up with his visit to your business. Well, unless your business is based in your home, but even so, there will be a few things on your mind. Among them:

  1. How can I keep the mailman away from my front door?  And…
  2. How can I cut down my energy bills?

We can’t quite answer the first question, though you need to remember he’s just the delivery man. It isn’t his fault your bills are high. Which leads us onto the next question; if your bills are high, there are thankfully ways to reduce them.

Here are some ideas you may find useful.

– Switch your energy supplier, using a price comparison tool online for zero-hassle. Why lose your business expenses to greedy utility companies when there are many other firms offering much better deals.

– Form good habits around your workplace, unplugging your equipment when not in use, and turning off lights, etc. to save money on your electricity bill. Ensure your staff members follow the same good practice.

– Ditch any pieces of equipment that are not energy-efficient, and switch over to something that will make your business greener. Purchase tech that has the A+ energy rating, and perhaps switch from desktop computers to laptops, as these generally use far less electricity than their big brother counterparts.

– Be mindful of your water usage, as dripping taps or too many drinks breaks can add to your water bill. And while you can’t switch you water supplier in the same way as you can with gas and electricity, you can still ditch the water company altogether and consider borehole drilling, which is a cheaper alternative to using mains water.

– Don’t turn on the heating when it’s not needed. If the air is a little nippy, you should seal any draughts first, and then put on an extra sweater, rather than turn up the thermostat. Only turn the heating on when the air is particularly cold, or when you are making customers and clients feel more comfortable, and then keep the thermostat down at a reasonable temperature to bring down the costs.

Use gas heating instead of electricity in your workplace. The investment in switching over to a gas heating system will save you more money in the long run, as generally speaking, the price of gas per kWh is half of that of the electricity alternative. This will vastly reduce your energy bills, and will give the mailman one less to carry.

– Work outside of your normal workplace. If you don’t have to be in the office, work from home instead. Alternatively (and if you are already a home worker), avoid the utility costs at home by setting up base elsewhere. Local libraries, cafes, and community centres often have free wifi, so hike up their energy bills instead of yours!

There are many ways to reduce your energy bills, and we have only considered a few of them. To assist you further, contact your energy supplier, and ask them to conduct an energy audit. They will guide you into making further savings. And then consider the advice we gave you. With the many expenses you have each month, a cheaper utility bill will free up your spending elsewhere, and we don’t mean on a security dog to keep the mailman at bay!

 

Photo by Kari Shea 

 


Christine Buske is a former academic who left science at the bench, and now considers herself a woman in tech. She is a frequently invited speaker, and enjoys talking about career transformation (particularly leaving academia for the business world), tech, issues around women in tech, product management, agile, and outreach. She is a proud Canadian resident, and qualifies as a "serial expat".

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