Nowadays, businesses should take a more holistic approach to ensure that their operations remain viable for a long time. For instance, savings on energy costs is essential for small businesses to reduce expenses. Reduced electricity bills could mean more money left as profit. Apart from that, saving on energy could also benefit the environment.
If you are a small enterprise and looking for ways to cut your electricity bills, here are five tips that you can do:
- Conduct Energy Efficiency Audit
One of the first steps to lessening your energy costs is to learn what areas of your business consume the most energy. Discovering such areas can be your baseline for devising a plan to reach your goal—save on energy costs.
To simplify this process, you may want to consider working with assessors and providers such as Entouch, who offer sustainable solutions for businesses at reasonable costs. Click here to learn more about it.
The energy audit or assessment can gauge your current greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. Based on the results, the assessors will recommend action plans to reduce your energy usage. Doing this will also help identify any areas of your business that may be wasting energy. When you eliminate such waste, you can increase your savings.
- Check The Lighting System
Lighting can also be the most significant factor in electricity costs in a business, especially if your lighting system is outdated. It may be best to switch to energy-saving lighting if this is so. For instance, it’s recommended to use LED technology over conventional lighting to save as much as 80% on your energy bills.
If your budget permits, you may even want to install automatic lighting controls. Employees sometimes forget to switch off lights after using a room. This is where this technology comes into play. The sensors from smart lighting can detect human presence that can automatically turn on lights. And if no one is inside the room, the sensors can also detect such, switching off the lights without human intervention.
This lighting system is not entirely new, but it’s even used in smart cities and is preferred over the conventional lighting method because of its many benefits.
- Maintain Heating And Cooling System
Your heating and cooling unit are one of the biggest energy consumers, especially if your business office runs most days of the week. That’s why you must establish preventative maintenance by contacting emergency hvac repair Scottsdale to ensure that it’ll work efficiently. Otherwise, it can malfunction or perform poorly, increasing energy costs.
Here are some tips you should regularly do for your HVAC maintenance:
- Change defective piping, ducting, and other equipment insulation
- Fix leaks at the unit, its fittings, coils, air ducts, and piping
- Clean evaporators, condensers, refrigerant coils, and heat exchanger surfaces
- Clean or change the unit’s air filters at least once a month
If you need to buy a new HVAC unit, it may be best to purchase one with a high energy ratio (10.5 or higher) and a premium efficiency motor.
You can also further reduce energy consumption on an HVAC unit with large motor loads by installing variable speed drives.
- Manage Indoor Temperature
The indoor temperature is essential to keep your employees comfortable while working. However, excessive use of HVAC units can increase your energy costs. That’s why it’s also an excellent option to insulate your office space.
When doors and windows are properly sealed, you can prevent heat from escaping through the cracks in the winter months. Your heating system doesn’t have to overwork itself to keep the room warm.
Insulation is also vital during summer days. When your property is insulated correctly, heat may hardly penetrate walls and windows. You don’t have to put your cooling system to its lowest temperature, consuming more energy.
You can also use blinds and quality shade to retain the coolness of the indoor air as they can block sunlight.
- Turn Off Electrical Equipment
Turning off office equipment like computers, toasters, and coffee makers at the end of the day can significantly impact your energy costs. Remember that even when they are on standby mode, they still consume electricity, albeit at a smaller scale.
Thus, remind your team to shut off and unplug appliances and office equipment before they leave or if they won’t use them for a long time. With this simple habit, you can prevent wasting energy while prolonging their lifespan.
Conclusion
Even small businesses like yours can become more profitable if you know how to save on energy costs. You can even reduce your business’s carbon footprint by using energy-efficient systems. Furthermore, you can attract more customers who support enterprises that do business responsibly.
Keep these tips in mind, and you will, later on, see their impact on your bottom line.
