It’s not unusual for firms to spend a lot of money on their real estate, and one of the major sectors that gobble up office expenditure is energy. The use of energy can be wasted, which is why importance must be placed on actions that cut the consumption of energy in a firm.
Firms use up a really large quantity of energy – about 13 million employees in the world are estimated to use up 263 kWh per m2 in 208 million m2 of office space every year. Office buildings use up more than a quarter of the total energy consumed in the services sector. Heating takes up the lion share of energy consumption in offices at 50%, while lighting, air conditioning, computers etc. use up the other 50%.
Reducing your energy consumption benefits you in two major ways. First, you get to significantly lessen your office expenditure. Second, the amount saved frees up a part of your office budget which can be spent on advertisements to further attract customers to your business. Business clients also frequently take a look at the financial statements of firms and are more likely to work with companies that are adept at reducing costs to maximize profit.
Since the benefits of cutting energy consumption are numerous, here are some ways you can use energy efficiently to get more customers.
Invest In A Carbon Offset Project
A Carbon Offset is a great way to start cutting energy, as it’s a flexible way to calculate the size of your business’ carbon footprint and what you need to do to improve your energy efficiency. These schemes are usually based in developing countries and can involve rolling out clean energy tech, soaking up CO2 from the air by planting trees or even purchasing carbon credits from the emissions trading scheme.
Carbon offsetting is becoming more and more popular as we all focus on eco-friendly alternatives to products we use in everyday lives. I can be harder for businesses to try and cut down their energy, but reduced Carbon Footprint can do great things for a business. Customers will be attracted to you because of your contributions to our planet.
Get an EPC
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a certificate that contains information about how a building or property uses up energy. The information included in an EPC are the average energy costs of the property and suggestions on how the building can lessen the use of energy. EPCs are required for every building before it can be put on the market or leased out to potential occupants. Every building has an EPC rating of A through to G, with ‘A’ indicating the best possible use of energy in a property and an ‘F’ or ‘G’ showing the least efficient use. An EPC is valid for 10 years.
The provision of an EPC is hammered on in London, where the city places paramount importance on zero carbon. According to Nexus Energy Solutions:
‘It is more important than ever for London residents and businesses to become more energy efficient as the effects of high energy emissions, pollution, and poor waste management will reflect most acutely on those who live in the city.’
An EPC is a great way to start thinking about your business’ carbon footprint, as it can be a real eye opener when it comes to your energy usage. A domestic energy assessor would be sent to your office to carry out a survey which typically takes an hour or less.
Move to Solar
Several businesses are currently tapping into solar energy, a cost-effective way to bring electricity costs down to zero. Solar energy is a reliable, renewable source of energy and is the cleanest type of energy known to man since it emits zero carbon. Your business can make use of solar panels and solar thermal panels to replace the generation of power on-site, thereby saving you energy costs for decades.
Installing a solar power system for your business has several benefits like saving you 40 years’ worth of energy costs, profitable returns on investment, little or no costs on maintenance with a 25- year warranty, and the labelling of your firm as ‘Green’. Some customers prefer businesses that care about the environment and take actions to make it a better place to live in. Solar panels can be installed on the rooftop of your office building to generate solar energy for your company.
Switch off Appliances not Needed
You can save a lot on energy costs by switching off all your appliances at the close of the work day. Several businesses are guilty of leaving their computers, printers, portable devices etc. on all the time. Instructing your team or employees to switch off appliances once they leave the office would go a long way to reducing your energy costs. Present rules that entail the switching off of PCs in the workplace during lunch time and after-work hours. You can also lay down rules to avoid screensavers that use 3D effects as they consume more energy.
Chargers left in sockets consume energy as long as they’re connected. Also, connecting computers to a network printer could save you a lot of energy too. You can make use of a power strip in the office which when switched off, turns off all the devices connected to it.
Clients are attracted to a business that recognizes the importance of energy usage and efficiently cuts own on energy costs. Reducing the use of energy in an office benefits a company financially and improves the company’s outlook. There are several ways a business can reduce energy costs which include getting an EPC, making a move to purchase solar systems and by setting power-saving guidelines for employees to follow.
