Lucy - BQ Magazine EditorIt can definitely be agreed that running a small business is no small feat, and with everything on your plate, keeping track of energy usage might not be at the top of your list. But here’s the thing – monitoring your energy usage is not just for the eco- oriented businesses. It’s also about keeping those bills down and boosting your bottom line.
You can still have many energy-efficient appliances and risk having to pay a high bill (depending on the business, of course). But overall, running a business is very expensive, and the energy bill might be one of the biggest things that eats into profits. While yes, you need to make sure your business is fully sustainable, this also means monitoring your usage. But as a busy owner, how can you even do that? Well, here’s exactly what you need to know!
Take a Look into Smart Meters
Every homeowner and business owner needs to get a smart meter! The best way to compare them is to compare them to fitness trackers in the energy world. They give you real-time data on how much energy you’re using and when you’re using it. This means you can spot energy-guzzling habits and equipment right away. Depending on the brand, it might be able to tell you what’s using the most energy.
Plus, with a smart meter, you can kiss estimated bills goodbye and only pay for what you actually use. But on top of that, if you’re with a prepayment energy supplier and use a smart meter, it can also make it super easy to keep track of your credits and top up when needed. So you won’t have to expect any sort of surprise outages or cut-offs.
Consider Looking into Energy Audits
Basically, having an energy audit is like having a personal trainer come in and tell you exactly where you’re going wrong. It’s a thorough assessment of how your business uses energy and where you can cut back. It’s not really a good idea to try and do an energy audit yourself.
Instead, it’s best to look to hiring a professional to do this, or if you’re on a tighter budget, there are plenty of online tools and guides to help you carry out a basic audit yourself (but again, you’re better off hiring someone).
Sometimes, energy companies will do one of your business for a fairly affordable price, so you might even want to consider that, too. But once you’ve got your audit results, you’ll have a clear plan of action to tackle those energy vampires lurking in your business.
This Needs to be a Team Effort
It’s important to remember that energy monitoring isn’t just about gadgets and systems—it’s also about people. Getting your team involved in energy-saving efforts can make a huge difference. You’ll want to start by educating your staff about the importance of energy efficiency and how they can help. It doesn’t even need to be challenging, either.
For example, all it really takes is just some simple actions like turning off computers at the end of the day or being mindful of heating and cooling can add up. Consider setting up a reward system for the team when you hit energy-saving targets. But overall, a little friendly competition never hurt anyone, right?
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