Six tips to shrink your business’ energy bill when prices are rising

It doesn’t always take big changes to shrink an energy bill, so here are six tips that can help you reduce your business’ costs and usage.

1. Turn down the heat

Heating is one of the largest energy costs in a workplace, accounting for up to 40% of energy use in a non-domestic building.

You don’t have to make big changes to your building’s temperature to see a difference in your bill. If you can turn down your heating by 1ºC, could lower you energy bill by up to £80 a year.

2. Replace your lightbulbs with LEDs

Did you know, upgrading from conventional lighting to LEDs can cut your lighting costs by up to 80%. By making the switch you could see a sizeable difference in your business’ bill and have better quality lighting.

Not sure if they will match your current lighting? You can now get most energy efficient lightbulbs in any traditional colour or fitting, so you should be able to find an almost exact replacement.

For more information and benefits on switching to LEDs, visit the Energy Savings Trust website.

3. Repair or replace your work appliances (if you can)

Using faulty or low energy-rated appliances across your business can end up costing a fortune. By repairing or upgrading your appliances with energy efficient models, you could make a big difference to your bills.

No budget for it? No problem… you can still make a difference to your bill just by switching off all appliances instead of leaving them on standby.

4. Get a smart meter

There are several perks to smart meters for your business. Four smart meter benefits include:

More accurate billing.
Ability to monitor your usage more accurately.
More control over your consumption.
No longer needing to submit meter reads.

Haven’t got a smart meter yet? If you are a Valda Energy customer, you can book a free smart meter installation today.

Book your smart meter install

5. Energy audit (check if you’re losing energy)

One of the best ways to start reducing costs is to check if you are wasting any energy currently. An energy audit will establish your business’ electricity and gas consumption and spot where you can reduce your energy loss.

You can conduct a free, simple version yourself to find where positive changes can be made. Some things you could check is the energy efficiency of your appliances and how much lighting is currently costing you.

Energy audits are conducted by a registered energy advisor and are considered the best way to diligently check where your property is wasting energy. Things they may check around your business include the premises’ insulation levels and if there are any air leaks.

6. Check what energy support is out there

There is a variety of support out there for businesses with concerns over energy bills.

One place to look at is GOV.UK business finance and support finder. There you can find a range of government schemes offering loans and grants that support small businesses in reducing their environmental impact.

To find more energy efficiency support for your business, visit the Energy Saving Trust.

You can also check what support is out there with free grants search services, like Grants Online.