Although the summertime brings longer days, sunshine, and of course BBQ’s, it can be a challenge for business owners since the warmer temperatures can mean higher business energy bills. Higher bills in the summertime can be as a result of number reasons, including increased air conditioning use and reduced energy availability due to dry conditions.
But you don’t have to let your business suffer – this guide will share 10 of the easiest ways to reduce your business’ energy consumption during the warmer months whilst still helping to keep things cool and comfortable.
By installing a programmable thermostat, you can set different temperatures for different times of the day, ensuring that your business doesn’t unnecessarily expend energy on cooling. This helps conserve business gas energy by only cooling the temperature when people are present in the building.
Utilising natural light is a great way for businesses to save energy during summer. Natural lighting has a number of benefits, including being an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution when compared to using artificial lighting.
Sunlight provides sufficient brightness throughout the day, eliminating the need for businesses to use expensive electricity to power artificial lights.
Since the summer brings longer days, you may not need to turn lights on at all. But if you do, make sure they’re as energy efficient as possible.
LED or CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs use significantly less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, resulting in a lower electricity bill and a reduced carbon footprint.
This is where those LED or CFL light bulbs may come to hand. Curtains and blinds are able to block out much of the direct sunlight that enters through windows, helping to keep indoor temperatures cool on hot and sunny days.
By keeping curtains drawn and blinds closed in hot temperatures, businesses can reduce their air conditioning needs, resulting in substantial cost savings over time.
Fans are much more power efficient than air conditioners, and do not require large amounts of energy to run. Fans use only 1% of the electricity that air conditioners use; if you were to run a fan for an entire 24 hours, you would still use much less energy than it takes to run air con for 15 minutes.
Subsequently, this helps businesses to drastically reduce their electricity consumption and lower the energy bills.
By insulating walls and ceilings, businesses can keep the hot air out and the cool air in, thereby reducing the need to use electricity to power air conditioners or fans. Adding insulation to walls and ceilings can reduce heat transfer into a building by up to 40%, meaning businesses can enjoy lower utility bills without sacrificing comfort.
Additionally, insulating walls and ceilings can help to create a more comfortable environment for staff, visitors, and anyone who enters the building.
Dirty and clogged up filters can greatly reduce the efficiency of an AC unit, causing it to work harder and use more power in order to cool a space.
When air filters are clean and well maintained, they allow for more airflow which means that your AC unit doesn't need to work as hard to cool a space. This will inevitably lead to lower energy costs and much better performance.
Even though they’re not in use, appliances that are connected to the mains can still consume energy. To avoid unnecessary consumption, it’s important to completely unplug any electronics that are not in use.
This simple action can help reduce your business's overall electricity bill while also making a positive environmental impact.
Switching to a renewable energy source, such as solar power, can be an excellent way for businesses to save energy in the summer. Not only can it reduce your business’ energy bills, but it also allows businesses to take advantage of natural sunlight to generate power.
Solar power remains effective throughout the seasons, whether rain or shine. This is because solar power utilises energy from the sun’s light and not the sun’s heat, making it an ideal solution to reducing energy consumption and costs all year long.
Cool air has the potential to escape through leaks in airs and doors, limiting the effectiveness of efforts to keep your workspace at a comfortable temperature.
You can test for air leaks by holding a lit candle near the edges of doors and windows. If the smoke from the candle is blown away, then there is an air leak. You can seal air leaks in your workspace with weatherstripping or caulking to keep your area cooler for longer while also reducing business energy consumption.
The summer months don’t have to mean higher energy bills for your business. With organisation, planning, and commitment to conservation measures, you can effectively reduce energy consumption and save on business energy bills during the hotter months.
Trying out the ten tips we discussed in this guide such as installing a thermostat, switching to LED or CFL light bulbs, and insulating walls and ceilings, can all help to drastically minimise your energy consumption. At first glance, they may not seem like much, but when carried out consistently and combined with one another, you can make sure you minimise your business’ energy consumption, whilst reducing both your energy costs and environmental impact.
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