Small business owners are constantly looking for ways they can reduce their overheads. What people often fail to realize is that energy costs can be the highest financial burden. This can be even more burdensome when such costs haven’t been factored into the initial business plan. The good news is that you can significantly reduce your energy bills by making small changes to the way you run your organization. Here are Stream Energy’s top energy saving tips for your small business.
Have an Energy Audit
Before you make any changes, you need to find out where you are going wrong. A professional energy audit will assess the energy efficiency in your workplace, and pinpoint all the areas where you could cut down on your energy use.
Switch to Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
The majority of businesses keep their lights on for most of the day. Therefore, it only makes sense to use energy efficient bulbs that don’t cost much to run. According to energy.gov, you can save $75 per year by using the best LED light bulbs in the average home. Which means that the for business, this figure is a lot higher. They may be more expensive than your average bulbs, but you will save more money in the long run.
Purchase Energy Star Equipment
Energy Star is the largest independent energy conservation movement in the world. Their main aim is to assist people in reducing their energy consumption by advertising energy efficient products such as, television and computer monitors that use the least amount of energy. If your company is planning on purchasing new electrical equipment, choose
products that have received a seal of approval from Energy Star. As with the light bulbs, they are going to be more expensive, but you will save money in the long run.
Allow Your Employees to Work From Home
There are going to be some employees who won’t feel comfortable allowing their employees to work from home. However, you will save a lot more money on your energy bills. Think about it for a minute, the majority of your employees are going to spend 8 hours on a computer, charging their mobile phones, using microwaves, boiling kettles and running faucets. If they work from home every so often, you will significantly reduce your energy bills.
Remind Your Employees to be Energy Efficient
The majority of us take our energy use for granted, we leave lights on, laptops plugged in and the list goes on. You can remind your employees by posting notices up next to light switches, kitchen sinks and anywhere else where energy is used in the workplace.
You will be amazed at how much you will save on your energy bills by following the above simple tips. At Stream Energy we want to make sure that your bills are kept as low as possible.
We actually switched to energy efficient light bulbs last year. I am curious how much savings we’d find in an energy audit. I’m eager to find out.
I love all of these tips, especially the one about allowing your employees to work from home. If that is feasible and financially productive, I am all for that. It helps the environment in so many other ways…one being saving gas.
I have found there are many employers who are now opening some positions for remote workers, it’s our new “norm” 😉
I wish I could teach from home. There’d be less energy costs for sure, and less classroom management. 😉
I am sure teaching from home would have a whole new set of things to deal with. I don’t how my first born’s online charter school teachers do it – they teach the online curriculum and in a brick n mortar school too.
WE switched to all energy efficient light bulbs in our house. Best decision ever!
We have energy saving lights- they do help! I love the idea of having an audit done -I imagine they do find innovative ways to help.