Our top tips to help your business be more energy efficient

We understand that all businesses are different, but we’re all looking for ways to save energy and cut back on outgoing bills. Overusing energy is costly, and it can happen easily as a result of something as simple as leaving a computer on overnight. Basic housekeeping can save in the region of 5-10%.

At Indigo Swan we have an unflinching commitment to finding a better way, and we’re always looking for clever ways to help our clients out. We don’t just focus on finding you the best energy contract, but also how you can reduce your use. With this in mind, we’ve put together some straightforward tips which could help you save energy and, in turn, money at the same time.

Ensure staff have switched off their computers before they go home

This might seem like common sense but it’s often the simplest things which get forgotten. The clock is fast approaching home time, there’s only a few minutes left to finish off what you’re working on before packing up and making a mad dash for the door. It’s probably safe to say most of us have been in a similar situation and there’s no time to wait the couple of minutes it takes to shut down our computer or we simply forget in the mad rush.

Firstly, it’s not great for the computer to leave it on overnight – you could end up with a hefty repair or replacement bills. Secondly, by turning it off, you could save your business more than £35 on its electricity bills. Now have a think about how many computers you have in your office, and you’ll soon see there’s a creditable amount of saving to be made.

It might also be worth considering turning them off at the plug socket on weekends and holidays as machines and appliances continue to draw power even when they are plugged in.

Encourage employees to only boil the water they need for a cup of tea

We know how important tea breaks can be, not only to get our daily dose of caffeine but they have also been proven to increase productivity! Let’s be clear, we aren’t suggesting you should cut them out of your routine or even ask your employees to measure out each cup of water, merely just to encourage them to only boil what they need. There’s no point in boiling the same water repeatedly and by simply reminding your staff to be considerate it could make a difference.

Install motion sensitive lighting

We can all be forgiven for not remembering to switch off the lights each time we leave a room, it’s especially easy where you don’t necessarily need them. Motion sensitive lighting does all the hard work for you and turn off automatically when rooms are not in use and can therefore help to drive down your electricity usage.

Making the most of the natural light in the summer months by opening blinds during the day will also help!

Put up energy saving posters to remind your staff everyday

Why not remind employees of any energy saving measures by putting up posters to prompt them? These could be polite reminders to staff regarding things like turning off their computers before leaving or only boiling the necessary water. Something like this is simple to implement but can earn significant results.

Invest in energy saving technologies and products

Many business owners are unaware of the big differences pieces of equipment make in the workplace. By managing your office equipment carefully, you can reduce the amount of energy it consumes by up to 70%.

Although they can sometimes cost more up front, energy efficient devices can save you money over the years of use. They also bring with them several other benefits including greater mobility. Switching to laptops, for example, which use less energy than desktop computers, can enable staff to become more flexible in where and when they work.

Choose equipment with an A+ energy rating, and you can expect cheaper energy bills — balancing out the purchase price.

What’s next

If you want to explore further ways of making your business more energy efficient, we can provide a range of expertise and services.

We’re also able to allocate you an ‘in house’ expert who will be contracted to your business, on a regular basis depending on your needs, to be part of the company and work as a member of your internal team. They will integrate with your business as a guide and act as an ‘Outsourced Energy Manager’. With them they will bring a breadth of expertise and knowledge to help find ways to reduce costs, meet legislative requirements, ensure environmental or energy standards are met or even help to put a strategy plan in place. We may even be able to find ways to access funding or grants.

There you have it, our top 5 tips to help your business be more energy efficient. If you would like any more information, please get in touch hello@indigoswan.co.uk or call us 01603 625522