Your job as a business owner is to have a profitable company. You don’t want to cut corners, but you need to cut costs wherever you can.
One way to do that is to cut back on your utility expenses. You often can’t cut back on how much power you need, because it can get in the way of productivity.
Like you strive you make your employees more productive and efficient, you can turn to business energy efficiency.
If you can cut energy costs by 20%, it would be the same as getting a 5% increase in sales. Is it possible to get to that level of energy efficiency in your business?
Read on to find out what you can do to improve the energy efficiency and the benefits you can expect to gain.
Benefits of Business Energy Efficiency
The most obvious benefit is that you can reduce your business operating costs by investing in business energy efficiency. There are a number of other benefits that you should consider as well.
For starters, if you own your office building or warehouse, you can increase the value of the building by becoming more energy efficient. Businesses are looking to become more sustainable, which makes energy-efficient buildings in demand. The higher the demand, the higher the resale value.
Sustainability is also important to your employees and customers. Consumers would much rather do business with companies that go the extra mile to conserve energy and resources. They’re also willing to pay more to do business with those companies.
Not only will you cut your operating expenses, but you can also increase your prices. That will deliver a higher profit margin and ROI to your business. It’s a no-brainer.
How to Improve Energy Efficiency in Your Business
You now understand the benefits of an energy-efficient business. It can transform your brand and your bottom line. Here’s how you can start to make that change at your business.
It Starts with Your Employees
Going from a business that isn’t energy efficient to one that it requires a culture shift at your business. It also requires a change in thinking and behavior from your employees.
You’re going to have to take the lead to get employee buy-in to become truly energy efficient. Most employees will understand this and buy-in quickly because it matches their values.
However, it will take time for these shifts to occur. Your employees may embrace this shift on some level but remember that employees don’t like change. You’ll want to communicate the benefits to the environment and the business by making this change.
Give them the tools that they need to make decisions and support the energy efficiency initiative. One place to start is to train them on the things they can do to make your business more efficient.
Audit Your Office
Your next step is to conduct an energy efficiency audit. You want to see where you’re wasting energy throughout the office place. Start by looking at your energy bills over the last 12 months. You want to notice when your heating bills were at their peak and when they were at their lowest.
Some of that may depend on your location. If you’re in Maine and endure harsh winters, your energy bills are likely to be highest during the winter and lowest during the summer. In the south, you’re likely to see an opposite trend due to hot summers.
You’ll want to go through your building and see where the energy leaks are. Do you have drafts that enter the building? How old are your light fixtures? How old is your equipment?
These things can be energy drains. Plus, with the way technology is moving you’re likely to find much more efficient equipment now than when you purchased the equipment.
If you don’t want to conduct an energy audit yourself, you can call up your utility company. Some of them will provide an energy audit to you at no charge.
Replace Light Bulbs
One of the easiest things you can do at your business is to replace your lightbulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs. They use less electricity and last longer. You don’t have to buy replacement bulbs nearly as often.
Plug Drafts
Windows and doors are the most common energy leaks. If there’s a draft, then you’re wasting energy to heat or cool your building.
Seal those areas well and you have a great deal of cost savings right there.
Get Some Shade
When you looked at your bills, did you find that your cooling costs were astronomical? That could be because your windows let in a lot of light. Natural light is good, but it can raise the temperature in your office.
You can install window tinting to still get natural light in your building, but it will cut down on the heat and damage that UV rays can do. Read this article to learn more about this.
Get a High Tech Thermostat
Smart thermostats are a great way to reduce energy bills. This way, you’re not depending on the last person to leave the office to remember to turn down the thermostat.
You can program your thermostat to turn on and off when no one is around.
Reduce Usage at Peak Times
Energy companies know that businesses depend on electricity to function properly. They’ll often charge you more for using electricity at peak times, usually during normal business hours.
You can get around this by lowering your energy usage at peak times. Consider working outside of normal business hours and stagger employee hours to minimize your usage.
Business Energy Efficiency is Good for Your Business
You always want to become more profitable as a business. One way to do that is to invest in a business energy efficiency initiative.
There are a number of other benefits to having an energy-efficient business. There are cost savings, but it makes the right impression with employees and customers.
Do you want more business tips? Check this blog regularly for tips on everything from being a better leader to marketing your business.
