Buildings need to be inventive in many ways, especially if you are planning on intent on cutting energy costs in the long-term. Our new presentation outlines all the handy ways that your business can implement energy efficiency measures.

1. A Guide for Business Owners

2.  Rising energy prices have a very real impact
on businesses.
 Energy inefficiency can add a lot of
unnecessary expenditure to your business.
 Cutting energy waste from your business, will
not only save you money, it will make a
marked difference to productivity and
efficiency.

3.  Tablet and smartphone energy apps are
continuing to become ever more prevalent.
 Many energy companies now offer customers
the opportunity to measure energy use in real
time.
 Energy displays and monitors that can be
used on your business premises are a useful
tool.

4.  Energy audits offer a good opportunity for
you to identify specific ways to cut fuel costs.
 Most energy companies will offer an on site
energy audit, and some will offer this service
for free on certain conditions.
 Whatever you do, ensure you choose the
energy audit that is right for your business
and be as transparent as you can with your
auditor.

5.  This is your chance to systematically reduce
the amount of money your business is
spending on energy.
 Set yourself a target which is both money-
saving, but also realistic.
 Make sure you are revisiting your plan on a
regular basis to ensure that you are on track
to meet your targets.

6.  SMART targets are
Specific: well defined and clearly defined
Measurable: you are able to measure your
progress against a base line.
Achievable: the target, ultimately, needs to be
achievable.
Realistic: your target needs to be realistic
Time-bound: have a clear deadline by which
your deadline should be reached.

7.  There are two ways you can measure your
baseline energy use:
 Annual comparison: Create a baseline figure
at some point in the year and make
comparisons from that date to measure
usage.
 Seasonal comparison: Compare your energy
bills across two winter seasons, or during
your busiest periods.

8.  Commit to understanding how your business
uses energy and how you can reduce it.
 Ensure that one person within your business is
given central control of your energy reduction
plan.
 Commit to the energy reduction targets you
have set and do it properly.
 Be clear with staff about your goals, and
exactly how you intend to meet them –
communication is everything.

9.  Involve your staff in the process of meeting
your energy reduction targets. Don’t be afraid
to hold meetings to brainstorm ideas.
 Write a briefing document which explains to
staff, customers and suppliers what you are
choosing to achieve.
 Create a positive culture of energy saving in
your office. This can be achieved in a number
of ways.

10.  Linking energy saving to staff performance
and bonuses could help to maximise your
savings.
 Make sure that energy reduction and saving
are part of your staff training and induction
schemes.
 Remember to be patient – new habits can be
hard to ingrain into a workforce.

11.  Many businesses are unwittingly wasting
money on their heating systems.
 Improving insulation, eliminating draught and
using ceiling fans are all very effective ways
of cutting costs.

12.  Take advantage of daylight and natural light
as much as possible.
 Use light colours on the walls, as these are
good ways for natural light to be reflected.
 Skylights are a useful way for natural light to
be let into your building.

13.  According to one Australian study, as much
as 40%-52% of total energy consumption is
used in commercial buildings on HVAC
systems.
 HVAC was also estimated to be responsible
for 43% of electricity use in office buildings.
 This is why it’s vital to ensure that your HVAC
system is just right for your business
premises.

14.  Thermostats that are set incorrectly are a
major cause of wasted energy.
 It’s important to remember that whacking
your thermostat up to maximum will not heat
your building up any faster.
 Similarly, turning your thermostat down will
not cause the building to cool down any
faster.

15.  If your business uses company vehicles or
manages a vehicle fleet, then energy savings
can be even made on a vehicle fleet.
 For example, your company could be
spending money on high quality, fuel efficient
tyres.
 Likewise, correct tyre pressure can extend
tyre life and improve fuel efficiency.
 Encourage employees to join a car share
scheme.

16.  IT is one of the major sources of energy
output.
 Program wake and sleep periods for your
printers to ensure that they are turned off at
the end of the working day.
 Reduce the brightness of LCD monitors and
ensure that screensavers are not keeping
computers on unnecessarily.
 Investing in laptops could save energy in the
long-term.

17. http://www.dyerenvironmental.co.uk/