How to save energy and cut business costs

Rising energy prices and growing concerns about carbon dioxide emissions and climate change mean it makes sense for all businesses to have a corporate-wide energy efficiency strategy - it goes beyond cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions though, and can be an effective way to cut business energy bills.&nbsp

There's no price cap on business energy. Compare deals to find cheaper prices than your supplier's out of contract rates.

Follow these six simple steps to help potentially save thousands on your business energy bills... 

How to cut your business energy bills

1. Switch to compact fluorescent (CFL) or Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs

Even though these light bulbs don't come cheap, they definitely save money in the long term. Energy efficient light bulbs use up to five times less energy than the usual light bulbs and last longer than the standard ones. In addition, they are extremely useful if the lights are installed in high ceiling areas as it will save you a hassle of hiring an electrician every time. 

2. Break the habit on leaving computers on 

Most of us know that electronic should be left on standby mode thus, devices left on standby mode are still using energy. An average household can save up to £80 by just turning off devices when they are not used. Imagine what it can do for your business?  

3. Effectively use the air conditioning 

Do you consider air conditioning if space is overheating? It is a quick way to cool the air down thus, conditioning is not an ideal option. Keep windows and doors open during warmer months and enjoy the fresh air. According to Carbon Trust, a 2°C increase in office temperature creates enough CO2 in a year to fill a hot air balloon. Even a small change can make a big difference!

4. Cut the heating costs

Heating and hot water can amount to 60% of your energy bill. To make sure you are not wasting energy during colder months, set up a temperature control which only operates below 23 °C. Even 1°C thermostat adjustment can reduce your energy cost up to 8%. 

5. Let employees work from home

When employees work from home, they're not using any energy at the workplace, which can result in small-scale energy savings on individual office workstations, or bigger savings if most staff are away from the office and no energy is used for lighting and heating the office. It's vital you ensure employees can work just as effectively from home as they can form the office, so you'll need to set up a virtual private network (VPN) to allow them to securely connect to the work server, as well as a reliable conference call or video conference service so meetings can be held without anyone having to physically be in the office.

6. Reduce your business costs by at least a £1,000 

Seek the opportunity to explore the energy market. If you are looking for a simple solution to cut the costs switch your business energy supplier. If you don’t have the time to go through this process every year don't worry!

Our friends over at Bionic will automatically find you the best business energy deal at renewal, saving you the the time and hassle of remembering your renewal date and comparing deals.

If you're happy with the deal they find, you don't have to do a thing as the energy experts at Bionic will handle the switch for you. If you think you can get a better deal elsewhere, give them a call on 0800 691 1279 and they'll run another price comparison and talk you through your options.

How have you helped make your business more energy efficient? Share your story with our energy-saving community on Twitter or Facebookor LinkedIn.

Click here to run an energy price comparison, and see if you could be paying less for your gas and electricity.

Les Roberts - Energy Expert at UKPower

Les Roberts - Energy Expert at UKPower

If you’ve got an issue with your energy supplier, our consumer champion Les is on hand to help. A decade in consumer affairs means Les understands how confusing energy tariffs can be, so he'll cut through the jargon to help make sure you get the best deal.