Businesses missing out on energy saving opportunities

The majority of small businesses are not actively looking to ensure their buildings are eco-friendly, with research suggesting around half of firms are paying out more than £1,000 a month for their energy.

Office buildings have high energy usage given the levels of technology, lighting and air-conditioning that are required, but it is still possible to keep bills down.

According to Make it Cheaper though, many business owners are missing opportunities to cut emissions and costs.

A third of business owners said that workers do not actively take measures to make their offices more eco-friendly while one in five said they purchase new equipment without giving any consideration to if it is energy efficient.

Two thirds of employees meanwhile disagreed with their bosses, and suggested that owners are not using energy friendly measures in the workplace.

While 49% of business owners spent more than £1,000 on their monthly energy bills, 7% revealed that they spent more than double that figure.

Around a fifth of bosses said that they did not know what their monthly expenditure on gas and electric was.

Implementing energy saving measures can help a business, and the environment, in the long-term, and brings significant financial benefits.

Such measures can free up funds for product development, sales or growth and may even reduce debts or the threat of insolvency should a business be operating on very tight margins.

Finding methods to reduce outgoings can be key to tackling bad debts, while an independent business review may also reveal areas for potential savings.

Given that operational costs can be some of the highest outgoings for businesses, even simple measures such as closing windows and doors when using air conditioning or having light sensors can help.

Indeed, some of the most popular methods for cuttings costs revolve around using energy saving light bulbs, light sensors and smart meters.

Switching providers is also viewed as a potential way of cutting costs, yet one in eight bosses revealed they have never changed their energy provider and just 7% switched in the past 12 months.

By Phil Smith

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