Energy-saving tips for businesses

Image of the GridDuck dashboard

When you’re running a business or managing multiple sites, every cost is important. But there is one thing that people often overlook when they calculate their overheads - and that’s how much money can be saved by checking energy use.

If you learn how to manage your energy efficiently, you can bring down your business bills and keep them down. GridDuck, a system that can wirelessly monitor your energy consumption, was developed to help people just like you.

GridDuck’s expertise and innovative technology have helped our clients save money. But there are steps you can take today to help you become more energy efficient. Our team has put together these energy-saving tips to get you started: 

1. Switch things off or turn settings down. Many of our customers wrongly assume that they can’t make any cutbacks because every machine or appliance is absolutely necessary. While that may be true, not everything has to be on 24 hours a day. This might depend on your operating hours, industry, output, or when staff need to be on site. 

For example, do you always keep the lights on? Up to 40% of your energy costs could be going on lighting your buildings. Is the air conditioner always running? What about any commercial fridges or ice machines? We helped a cocktail bar save 28% of their energy just by turning off some of their drinks fridges when they weren’t open for business. This amounted to nearly £1k per year in savings. Moreover, it was simple to do and took no effort.  

Do you work in manufacturing? Industrial air compressors can consume vast amounts of energy, even when they’re idle. Here’s one stat from the Carbon Trust that is likely to surprise you: an idling compressor can still use up to 40% of its full power.

So, start by asking yourself questions about your business. Being curious and hands-on will set you on the right path. 

2. Control the room temperature, whether at home or at the office. It’s obvious, right? Heating costs money. But some people believe it’s better to keep heating a building to a consistent temperature, e.g. 20°C., at all times. While this practice is debated by experts, the Energy Saving Trust advises that it’s best to only heat a room when you are using it. Depending on your insulation, heat will always be leaking out. It follows that if you have the heating on all day, it will be losing energy all day - and that’s going to cost you money. 

Turn down the heat, too.  Keeping a room at 15°C takes considerably less energy than keeping it at 25°C. The optimal room temperature in winter is probably around 20°C but, again, will depend on insulation. 

For every one-degree increase in the thermostat in the winter, you will be consuming roughly 10% more energy. The same applies for every one-degree decrease in the summer. A virtual thermostat connected to GridDuck HQ can help set rules: for example, if the temperature of the office hits 21°C, then turn off the heating.  

We helped one strawberry farm make energy savings of 56% just by tracking how fruit pickers used the electric heating in their caravans. By using email alerts, we were able to change behaviour and reduce electricity usage substantially. 

3. Check your machines’ filters, vents, motors and fans. When things are not operating efficiently, you will be losing energy. This is as true of draughty windows and leaking pipes as it is of your machines or appliances. If you have dirty or clogged fans, for instance, they will be working much harder to produce the same amount of output as those that aren't. This will be costing you more money in energy costs and these can add up. 

Get ahead of the game and regularly check any mechanical parts that have to operate under stress. You might even save yourself money in the long run by not relying on specialists when things break down. When equipment or appliances need to be upgraded, go for something with a high energy efficiency rating. While it may cost more up front, it will save you money over time. 

4. Invest in renewables. How we use energy is changing fast because of new technology. One way to permanently bring your costs down is to produce your own energy. You can even receive payments for the extra energy you generate. While this is not something you might do right away, it’s worth thinking about investing in something like photovoltaic (PV) panels. These generate electricity from daylight, not sunlight, and work on buildings of all sizes. Better still, you are reducing your reliance on fossil fuels. The Energy Saving Trust has a solar energy calculator that can help you work out what benefits you will see from installing PV for your business or home. 

5. Involve your teams. Learning to become more energy efficient is not something that is done in isolation. Put posters up, bring other people on board and ask for their suggestions. When people feel their opinions count, they will be more likely to invest time in it. Take turns doing regular walk-throughs of the premises, to check that equipment has been turned off and to spot areas where there is waste. 

Getting people to think about their behaviour is often the first step in getting them to change ingrained habits. Lead by example: only boil the water you need for tea or coffee; don’t fill the kettle if it’s not necessary. Update your team regularly on where you’ve made savings - if they know their efforts are working, they will keep at it.  

6. Know your energy use. Information is power. In order to make changes that will save you money, you need to identify where you might be wasting energy. You could carry out meter readings and manually inspect every machine, appliance and piece of equipment; but to accurately see the big picture, you need to have data in front of you. 

How GridDuck can help you save energy

GridDuck’s sensors and dashboard give you and your staff real-time access to your electricity consumption data, and the ability to intelligently switch things on and off. The bonus is that you will also be doing your part to help save the planet. By reducing your energy waste, you are reducing harmful carbon emissions. 

Find out how GridDuck can bring down your energy costs, so that you’re running your business more efficiently and sustainably. Request a live demo and we’ll be in touch.