Energy saving tips for SMEs
There can be a lot of barriers when it comes to investing in energy efficiency when you run a small or medium sized enterprise (SME). This can often be from not having the time, money, or resources to spend on upskilling staff or investing in new technologies to help.
Rising energy prices are a worry for many businesses, but there are steps you can take to reduce your bills by making your office or building more energy efficient. According to Leap SME, SMEs could make savings of up to 30% by making changes.
Here are some of Energy Saving Trust’s no or low-cost steps you can take to reduce the amount of energy your business uses.
10 recommendations to reduce your energy use as a business
- Get an energy audit for your business processes, buildings and transport. This can show you how much energy different parts of your business use. Then you can find the most cost-effective energy saving opportunities. You can find out more information on Leap SME's energy audit booklet.
- Avoid using extra electric heaters when it’s cold, as these are one of the most expensive ways to heat rooms.
- Activate power saving mode on all computers and encourage staff to turn off monitors when not in use. Make sure everyone fully shuts down any IT equipment at the end of each work day.
- Allow employees to work from home if they can and want to. With fewer people on site you could spend less on lighting, heating or cooling, if you’re using less rooms.
- Get your employees on board. Appoint a person or team to champion your energy efficiency efforts and lead on encouraging energy-saving behaviour.
- Check your heating controls to make sure it only comes on only when and where it’s needed. You might be able to set your heating system to a timer to help manage this.
- Monitor the office thermostat and check in with staff. If it can be turned down even 1 or 2 degrees, this can reduce energy consumption and save on your bills.
- Regularly take meter readings, or look at your smart meter data if you have one. This can give you visibility over how much energy you are using depending on certain factors, like how many people were in the office that day. Then you will know what your baseline energy usage is and can take appropriate steps to reduce it further.
- Add automatic lighting in areas that are not used as much. This can help you avoid having lights switched on more than needed in areas that are not often used. These could be daylight sensors, or motion-sensor lights depending on the area.
- Install energy-efficient lights. According to Business Energy Scotland, compact florescent lights (CFLs) or light emitting diodes (LEDs) can make immediate savings of up to 75%.
What energy efficiency support can businesses get?
You can find information on what help business can get with energy bills on Energy Saving Trust’s blog.
There are also several business-specific support schemes at local and national level that target energy efficiency and decarbonisation:
- In England, the UK Government has a simple guide to low-cost measures SMEs can take to save energy and money on their bills
- In Wales, Business Wales offer information, guidance, and support for businesses in Wales
- In Wales, The Development Bank of Wales offers consultancy and financing for energy saving measures with its Green Business Loan Scheme
- In Scotland, Business Energy Scotland provide free support for making your business greener
- In Northern Ireland, InvestNI offer advice, energy assessments and access to financing to improve the energy and resource efficiency of your business
- In England and Wales, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme offer businesses help to replace fossil fuel heating systems.
Depending on where you are in the country, you may be able to get energy efficiency help from local business support programmes. You can see a list of the help available in Energy Saving Trust’s guide.
More resources
If you want to save energy and money at home as well as your business, you can use the Energy Saving Home Improvement tool.