Table of Contents
Rising energy prices are at the forefront of everyone’s mind, as the gas and electricity prices soar. 2022 has been dubbed “the year of the squeeze”, with everyone wanting to stretch their money as far as possible.
This is an issue that faces businesses as well as the general public, with many small businesses who have managed to survive the pandemic fearing that the rising prices might make sustaining their business near enough impossible.
According to the Department of Energy & Climate Change, small to medium-sized businesses could reduce their energy bills by 25% by introducing energy-efficient measures in the workplace. Junair shares their advice on how to make your workplace more energy-efficient in the coming months.
The Best Ways to Make Your Workplace More Energy-efficient
Understand Your Energy Usage
If you want to reduce your workplace energy bills, you need to understand how much energy you use, how you’re using it, and figure out how you might be wasting energy as well. You’ll need to keep track of your monthly and annual energy bills and start taking regular meter readings to track your spending. It’s best to keep track of this in a spreadsheet so you can notice patterns with your energy usage, to find opportunities for saving money.
When making changes to how you use the energy, it’s best to try one bit of adaptation at a time, to see how effective each change is within your workplace.
Encourage Flexible Working
One thing your employees will have gotten used to over the last two years is how to work from home. If you want to save money on your premises, allowing your employees to continue to work in the home office a couple of days a week will not only be good for them, it could also be beneficial for your energy bills. Offering flexible options of only 3 office days a week might be a beneficial option for both you, financially, and your employees while they get used to the commute and routine again.
Check Your Heating
Different workplaces require different temperatures, depending on the equipment used and physical activity required. According to the Health and Safety Executive, offices should be a minimum of 19°C, workshops 16°C and 11°C in very physical workplaces like warehouses.
To make sure your workplace sits at the right temperature, make sure your thermostats are positioned correctly, by keeping them away from radiators, windows and open doors, to ensure an accurate reading. Double-check they’re set to the right time and date so the timers go on and off at the right time. This is something you should check every so often, especially after the clocks go forward or back.
Assess Your Lighting
It is predicted that lighting accounts for around 20% of a business’ energy bills. Make sure that you have the most energy-efficient measures to save energy and money in place, to help maintain or improve profitability within the workplace.
The most energy-efficient lighting source is LED lighting. If you switch all lighting from halogen to LED, you could potentially be £7.81 per bulb. Investing in compatible timers and dimmers for your lights can help you save even more – just ensure they’re only being used when they need to be.