Many expenses in business are fixed. You cannot reduce the payroll or the lease of your office. That is why; you have to work towards reducing the costs which are under your control. One such cost is the utility expense.
You might think that your office already uses the utilities efficiently, but you couldn’t be more wrong. In many offices, neither the employees nor the business owners care about the use of utilities.
That is why; the utility bills are so high. As your office expands, these utility bills expand as well. Sooner than later they will form a significant portion of your business expense. Due to this very reason, it is essential for you to work towards reducing these utility bills. It is not that difficult to do so.
A great way of reducing costs is by choosing reliable and affordable providers. For instance, the electric company you have, besides offering excellent service, should advise you on the energy plans that might suit your pocket. This way, you will avoid any bill surprises at the end of the month.
Today we will shed some light on 7 tips to lower utility bills in your business.
Fix those drips
Many people confuse utilities with just being electricity cost. You need to understand that you have to reduce water usage as well. You have to conduct an audit of the faucets and the toilets in your office. If there are leakage issues, it is essential to get them repaired. Due to leakage, your money goes waste due to high water consumption. It is the main reasons why you need to fix them up quickly.
According to some estimates, a leaky toilet can cost you as much as $ 20 per month. When you multiply it with a couple of them, the cost can balloon out of control within a year. That is why it is essential to repair the toilets and the faucets right away.
Use the water heater efficiently
It is better to always operate the water heater at a temperature setting below 140F. When you do so, you will get lukewarm water which is not blistering hot. It is also perfect for use. Changing the temperature setting of the water heater alone can save you up to $ 10 per month. If you have multiple water heaters around the washrooms of your office, you can save even more money. It is a step which most of the businesses often ignore when it comes to reducing utility bills of your business.
According to the team at UMC Solutions “Unlike other types of bills, utility bills can be overly complicated and can fluctuate from month to month. Left unchecked they can easily spiral out of control and become an expense-blindspot for any businesses.”
Using smart thermostats
Instead of using traditional thermostats, it is better to use smart thermostats. There are a few unique features in the smart thermostats which can help you save a lot on electricity. These features include:
- Smart thermostats can change temperature according to the time of the day. They operate on full blast during the afternoon session and then, increase the heat slightly.
- Smart thermostats are programmable. You can set the temperature in advance. It will allow you to use the air conditioners as per your need.
- You can program the Smart thermostats according to the temperature outside. It will help you utilize them efficiently.
- Smart thermostats are programmable according to the current season. It means that during the winter season, they will automatically adjust the temperature which will reduce electricity consumption.
These are just some of the features of smart thermostats. There are quite a few others like remotely controlling the temperature. It will ensure that at no point in time, the air conditioner is operating unnecessarily on full blast. The use of smart thermostats alone can bring down your electricity bills by up to 8%. Due to this very reason, it is better to opt for smart thermostats as soon as possible.
Properly insulate your business premises
If you have not covered the premises of your business, in spite of the cooling, you will always have to run the air conditioner at the lowest temperature consistently. It means that electricity consumption will be on the higher side. On the other hand, when you examine the door and window frames and accordingly seal them, you can be sure that the air loss will be minimal. The heat loss will be minimal. That is why; you can run the air conditioners at a moderate temperature rather than the coldest temperature.
Sealing the door frames and window frames is not that difficult. It is not necessary to replace the entire structure. Once you do so, you can insulate your business premises and use the air conditioners accordingly. It will help you save on electricity significantly.
Use Energy Star appliances
Instead of using the older machines, it is always necessary to use energy star appliances. Many of the governments and local authorities also provide you with a grant when you use such energy-efficient devices. You have to try and reduce the carbon footprint of your business as much as possible. Your consistent efforts can certainly help you boost your bottom line by reducing the energy consumption of your business.
Reducing the number of appliances in your office
Many business owners like to hold up on printers, modems, and other such devices. You need to reduce the presence of devices like printers, photocopiers, scanners. You need to limit them to 1 among ten people. When you do so, automatically the electricity consumed by these appliances will reduce. Also, nobody needs the scanner or the printer consistently. That is why; it will not bring down the efficiency of your employees. It will also reduce the paper use which will save you even more money. You have to look at the number of appliances available in your office premises currently and then take this call.
Use smart lighting systems
It is always wise to take advantage of motion-sensing lights. Once you use motion-sensing lights especially in washrooms and other such spaces, you can save a significant amount of electricity. You will not have to let them run consistently. That is why; the electricity consumption will come down.
When you combine the motion sensors along with the LED lights, you can reduce the electricity consumption further. The LED lights are durable which allows you to use them for a long time. Once you do so, it is easy to reduce your electricity expenses. These days, programmable lights and remotely controlled lights are available. It means that once a specific department’s working hours are over, you can quickly shut down the lights of that area remotely. It will help you reduce a lot of money on electricity bills.
So, instead of thinking that you use the utilities efficiently, it is time to incorporate these seven tips. The advantage of these seven tips is that they are not that difficult to execute. You can easily include these steps in a small budget and a matter of weeks. It will allow you to bring your utility expenses down by at least 10% which means that on an annual basis, you can save a significant amount of money.
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