Making your business more energy-efficient is often the easiest way to reduce operational costs because even minor adjustments can bring significant annual savings.

Heating and hot water

The energy used to provide heating and hot water for your site can amount to more than 50% of your business's energy consumption and carbon emissions.

• Draught-proof and insulate your roof, windows and doors to reduce heat loss.
• Set the boiler's timer controls so that heating is only on when people are in the building.
• Turn down the heating. A reduction of just 1˚C on the thermostat could cut your annual heating bills by up to 8%.
• Set your heating system to 'frost protection' at weekends and during closure periods, to avoid burst pipes.
• Install a separate water heater so that you can switch off the main boiler in warmer weather.
• Leave plenty of space around your radiators so that hot air can circulate effectively.
• Localise heating to the areas where it is actually needed.
• Insulate all the components of your heating systems.
• Service your boiler regularly to make sure it is working at its optimum efficiency.
• Consider purchasing a new, more energy-efficient boiler to reduce your energy costs over the long-term.

Taking regular meter readings will also help you to understand how much energy your business consumes. A regular walk-around of your premises can also help to highlight areas where 'quick win' savings can be made.

Lighting

Lighting accounts for up to 20% of a typical business’s electricity consumption but it is also one of the easiest and cheapest areas to address.

• Use low-energy light bulbs, which typically use up to 80% less energy than a standard bulb, last 10 times longer and deliver a return on investment within just one year.
• Fit motion sensors or timer switches in rooms that are used less frequently, so that lights are only used when needed.
• Make sure all lights are switched off at the end of the day, except for emergency lighting.
• Label banks of lights so that staff can clearly see which switches control which lights.
• Keep sky-lights and windows clear to maximise natural light and reduce the need for artificial lighting.
• Avoid lighting any unused areas unnecessarily by removing bulbs that are surplus to requirements.