As a company, there are a variety of places where your hard-earned money goes right back into the business. Everything from taxes to building leases can lead you toward searching for every possible way to reclaim your hard-earned dollars from money-hungry overhead. Did you know that one of your largest costs as a company is your energy usage?
Every year, small and large businesses alike will spend a combined $60 billion dollars in energy costs. For many, energy usage is like a slow drip of daily costs — you don’t realize how bad the leak is until you get the bill! In the long run, low-efficiency can end up costing you money and increasing your carbon footprint — and both are big negatives in the modern business age.
If you are looking to get a better idea as to true energy costs and discover quick changes you can make at work to save energy, here are five simple ways to get started:
1. Conduct a Whole-Business Energy Audit
Completing an energy audit may be one of the best audits you will ever experience in life. Depending on your utility company, you may be eligible for a free or discounted audit of your entire business’s energy usage. With an audit report, you can get a bird’s-eye view of your energy usage, and it will help you gain insights into the places where you are losing money through inefficient equipment or behaviors. Once you have an energy audit in hand, you can begin to make information-based decisions on how to better manage your costs.
2. Start a “Turn It Off” Routine
It may seem silly to make “turning things off” a part of our list, but a simple mid-day tour of the office will likely reveal the many ways your business is wasting money by simply leaving unused equipment powered on. Anne Herrington, Director of energy company Smart Power, says that many companies try to jump to buying costly high-efficiency equipment when they could simply create cost-effective routines. She says that investing in new equipment before learning how to turn the air conditioner off on weekends is tantamount to “buying shares when you have credit card debt.”
If you begin to build habits through company-wide policy, you can quickly see savings stack up as you begin to waste less and less energy. Consider asking employees to power down their computers and offices when they leave, turn off all building lights, and only utilize HVAC when actually using the building.
3. Try Sunlight — Nature’s Free Resource
Another way to save on energy costs is to cut out the use of expensive building lighting and take advantage of natural light. Not only can natural sunlight really light up a room, but studies have shown that companies who utilize natural sunlight in their offices have employees with better health and positive lifestyles. Using sunlight will also reveal areas of your office that aren’t being lit well, and can help guide any future lighting renovations you may consider.
4. Take Advantage of Renewable Energy
Most businesses default to using commercial energy sources to power their offices and buildings. Unfortunately, many commercial energy sources are non-renewable, harmful to the environment, and costly in the long run.
Consider making the jump to renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and biofuel. Many utility and energy companies offer renewable, “green energy” plans that offer big savings for companies. Not only will you see savings through your green energy usage, but you will also increase your customer appreciation in your eco-friendly business model!
The best place to start exploring renewable energy options — as well as many other cost-saving energy resources — is with an energy comparison site. Energy companies with experience in helping companies make the switch to cost-efficient strategies are a great resource to aid you in your exploration of new energy usage.
5. Give Your HVAC Some TLC
Your building’s HVAC system is one of those pieces of equipment that are overlooked until they wear out or break. At that unfortunate moment, they are all you can think about! One of the best ways to save money on energy usage is to keep your HVAC system tuned and maintained on a regular basis. Hire an HVAC company to routinely check your HVAC for any issues and to complete scheduled maintenance. With a consistent care routine, your HVAC systems will continue to work just as hard as you do — and stay that way for a long time.
Simple Steps Add Up to Big Savings
The most difficult aspect to implementing cost-saving measures is the lack of immediate savings you see when you start. However, if you begin to create business operation policies and encourage behaviors that help you accomplish the above steps, you will be glad to see the savings reflect on your monthly and annual usage fees. With energy usage, it truly is the small steps that make a big difference!
