The idea of saving money at a business is very different than saving money at home. Businesses save money by adding to their profits; it’s that simple. Companies can use a small business energy savings checklist to help. A small business energy saving checklist will help any type of business save money on energy costs and increase profits in the process.
Small Business Energy Saving Checklist | The Analysis
The first thing small businesses need to do is an energy audit. Businesses have access to a free service from energy providers where they will walk them through all of the energy use and give advice on how to lessen it immediately. However, small business owners can audit themselves first as a preliminary step.
All they have to do is answer a few questions. Those questions include but are not limited to:
- How long are lights turned on in a 24-hour period?
- Are the lights turned off at the end of the day?
- Are security lights in place and used at night?
- What is the thermostat set to consistently?
These questions will help you understand where some minor changes can be made. However, the audit done by the energy provider will go much more in-depth. But there are still more changes that can be made company-wide to increase energy savings.
Office Equipment
Office equipment should be unplugged when not in use; that includes printers, computers, televisions, and any appliance that doesn’t need to be plugged in at all times shouldn’t be plugged in at all times. In fact, businesses should move any documents like manuals or policy books to a digital space.
This will help your business avoid having to print things constantly. Businesses can also put computers into sleep mode when not in use during office hours. This can reduce energy use by 70%. In fact, using laptops would take away a lot of those energy costs with one action.
Invest in LED Lighting
The small business energy checklist must include checking for LED lighting. LED lights use 90% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs. Small businesses will want to use as much LED lighting as possible. However, there is a catch, the cost of retrofitting can be high.
Luckily, you did a small audit, so you know where bulbs need to be updated. Your small business can go step by step, replacing each bulb over time. You can also just do it all at once. Either way, the energy savings will repay the retrofit costs over time and then become nothing but energy savings month after month.
Smart Thermostats
Small businesses are the ones who would benefit greatly from smart thermostats. The idea is simple, use the smart thermostat features to ensure the heat or ac is turned off when the store or office is closed. You can also set schedules for when it should turn on, turn off, and even what temperature works best for your staff, customers, and clients.
The idea is to conserve as much energy as possible by not using the heat or ac when it is not needed, rather than keeping it on at all times.