March 7, 2012

Energy Saving Ideas

Filed under: Energy Efficiency — Tags: , — Newsroom @ 2:15 pm

These are of course, many other ways in which a small business can reduce the cost of the electricity and gas used.  One is by contacting an independent energy broker who will give advice specific to your situation.  They will contact the big six energy providers and after consultation with the business owner will arrange the best possible deal for them.

The second way to reduce energy costs is by using less energy!  That sounds obvious – and it is, but it is surprising how many businesses don’t actually consider that they can do something to reduce their overheads.

As the clocks will be changing at the end of this month it will be light well past the time that many offices finish work each day.  Even during summer months there are many companies that leave lights switched on at all times.  Some rooms may need extra help, if there isn’t much natural daylight, but there probably are offices which don’t actually require additional assistance.

Low Energy Lightbulbs

When you do require lights to be switched on, ensure that energy saving lightbulbs are being used.  These last many times longer than regular lightbulbs but only use a fraction of the electricity.  They are a little more expensive to purchase, but the savings outweigh the initial cost.  Make sure that you also remember to change the fluorescent tubes for energy saving tubes which are also considerably better for the environment as well as using less energy.

Reduce Printing

There are many people who print out every email when it just isn’t necessary.  This wastes printer ink, paper and electricity.  Take a little time to consider whether it needs printing, is it for one person only, or if it is for the attention of everyone, whether it can be emailed directly to them.

Work from Home

The ultimate way of saving energy is to have less people working at the premises.  Could it be possible for a number of staff members to work from home for part of the week?  There will need to be staff members present if the business has a number of clients who attend for meetings, or is open to the general public.  Apart from that it may be possible for other secretarial and technology support staff to be able to work from a distance.  This is good not only for reducing the cost of gas and electricity, but also for the members of staff as they will also reduce their travelling time and expenses.

It may take a little time and effort to organise, but it is worth giving careful consideration to the idea.  Although initially people may be reluctant to change from their usual routine, once they consider the benefits they are likely to be delighted at the chance to remain at home whilst continuing to work as normal.

 

Tomorrow we’ll take a look at solar power, the Government’s Green Deal and the progress being made by them.

March 6, 2012

Conserve Energy – And Save Money

Filed under: Energy Efficiency — Tags: , , , — Newsroom @ 1:17 pm

There are two different ways to reduce energy bills.  One is to change to a cheaper energy provider and the second is to use less gas and electricity.  The first method is straightforward; however, a two-pronged effort is required to ensure that the energy which you do pay for isn’t being wasted.  The vast majority of small and medium sized businesses are still finding it difficult to grow in the current economic climate and they need to keep overheads down to a minimum.

Step One

Contact an independent energy broker who will be able to find the best of the big six energy providers appropriate for your requirements.  They may be able to negotiate a better deal with your existing provider or they may suggest that you change suppliers.  They will only make proposals on the correct way forward after a thorough assessment of your present usage.

Step Two

This can be started immediately.  If you work alone then you will need to do the work.  If, however you have any staff members ask them for their assistance.

The first item to check is your electricity meter and whether it is functioning correctly.  At the close of business one day switch off the computers – don’t just leave them on standby.  Ensure that every other piece of equipment is turned off properly, and then take a meter reading.  The following morning make sure that you check the meter which should still have the same reading as last night.  If there were fridges or freezers which had to be left running overnight these will need to be taken into account.

Once it has been established that the meter is working correctly the following evening leave the computers and normal appliances as they would normally be left at the close of business.  The following morning read the meter again.  You will then find out how much energy is used by just leaving items on standby overnight.  This can mount up over the course of a month.

There are many ways to reduce the amount of energy used during the working day.  If there is central heating which has a timer set to ensure that the premises are warm enough by the time employees arrive, see whether that can be adjusted by thirty minutes.  Instead of switching on at 7am, change it to 7.30am or 8am depending on what time staff members arrive for work.  Reduce the thermostat by one degree which will positive impact on the heating bills, but do make sure that it isn’t cold.

Don’t heat empty rooms.  If a room is only used on an occasional basis, make a note to turn the radiator on before the room is required and turn it off after the room is vacated.  Ensure that radiators have silver foil behind them to bounce the heat back in the room.

These are only a couple of energy reducing ideas, and tomorrow there will be more suggestions.

March 5, 2012

Be Independent – With an Independent Energy Broker

Filed under: business energy — Tags: , , — Newsroom @ 1:33 pm

It is really important for all business owners and householders to check their consumption of electricity and gas on a regular basis.  Those commercial and residential customers who pay their utility bills by direct debit can tend to forget the “product” itself.  They are aware that they always pay for their gas/electric as they can see the payment being taken from their bank account each month.

Direct Debit is the cheapest way to pay for utilities – the energy suppliers are reasonably confident that they will receive payment each month, and if a customer starts to struggle with the amount, it can be identified before the arrears spiral out of control.  This is the same for businesses and domestic consumers.

Business Clients will benefit from contacting an Energy Broker

In the majority of businesses the cost of gas and electricity will be considerably higher than for domestic customers.  It is essential to speak to an independent energy broker who will provide impartial advice for every individual customer.  They are able to go to every provider in order to find the best price for their client.  The independent broker isn’t being paid by specific energy providers.  This ensures that the broker will find the best deal for every client.  The business owner doesn’t pay the broker for the service.  The broker chooses the provider, after consulting with his client, and then receives commission from the successful energy supplier.

Make Time for your Energy Broker

The broker can only work with the information they have available.  It is still the work of the small business owner to ensure that electricity and gas consumption is kept as low as possible.  There are many different ways to reduce the amount of energy being used in every business.  We’ll go into this in greater detail later this week.

It is difficult for small business owners, particularly if they are a “one man band” and need to do everything for themselves.  It may be economical to employ a part-time member of staff for even one day a week.  This may seem somewhat drastic, but spending £50 each week to get some help for a few hours, may, very quickly bring a considerable number of benefits to the business owner.   They will be able to get on with actually running their business, and may be able to leave some of the paperwork to a competent assistant.

The savings on the utility bills may swallow some of the costs, and may alleviate other problems which are being pushed to the background.  It is certainly worth checking out some figures to see whether this could be a possibility.

The first step though in reducing costs, or establishing that your business is paying the correct amount for the current usage is with the assistance of an independent energy broker.

December 2, 2011

Granting Assistance!

Filed under: business energy — Tags: — admin @ 9:45 am

Many small businesses would like to be involved in reducing their energy costs; however they need some assistance.  The problem is, as always, lack of cash!  The cost of changing to a new green technology isn’t cheap.  However, there are many ways to help you make a start towards a greener future.

A good start is by speaking to an independent energy broker, who is aware of all the rules and regulations of what you can, and can’t, do!  Find a broker who will, if necessary, arrange an energy audit of your offices to establish the amount of energy currently being used.  They will also be able to instruct you regarding energy saving bulbs, thermostats for central heating radiators, reducing the thermostat down on the boiler by one degree which saves a considerable amount of energy, and the switching off of all non-essential electrical appliances overnight – not just leaving them on stand-by.

These are great as a start towards reducing the overall energy bill.  When it comes to larger purchases then it becomes a bit trickier.  First, establish whether the government are offering any grants towards solar panels or any other capital purchases for businesses in your location.  Contact your local county council which may be offering incentives to small businesses wanting to move forward with green technology.  It may be that they are able to help, but have an allocation of funds for that financial year which have been utilised.  If that is the case and they are looking to allocate funds for the following financial year, ask to be put on a waiting list.  Additionally county councils usually are involved with Neighbourhood Forum groups which are normally held in various parishes in the area.  Ask your local councillor whether or not they are accepting grant applications.  There will normally be an officer at the council offices who is responsible for receiving grant applications.  The Neighbourhood Forum groups normally are able to accept each application for up to approximately £1000 depending on the number of local businesses and groups who have applied.

The meetings are informal and you ask for the grant during the meeting.  You will be advised on how to present it – normally only a couple of minutes, and then during the meeting you will know whether it’s been accepted.  All kinds of groups and businesses ask for small grants through these groups.  There may be the local band wanting to buy new instruments, or the Girl Guides needing a new roof for the shed where they keep their camping equipment.

The point is though, that there are plenty of opportunities for small businesses to get assistance towards green technology.  Make the effort to find out – and there is help available.

November 10, 2011

Take Control – It’s The Only Way!

Filed under: business energy — Tags: , , — Newsroom @ 2:33 pm

Earlier this week we suggested three simple ways in which businesses could reduce their energy bills.  As stated at the time, the only way to reduce the cost is by using less energy. It really is as straightforward as that – there is no way that the bill will be less by just thinking about it.

To use an analogy which most people will recognise – to lose weight it is necessary to reduce the intake of food and do more exercise.  There’s no point in jumping on the scales a few weeks later and being surprised that the weight is the same if there hasn’t been any attempt to eat less and exercise more!

Back to saving money and reducing the energy bill.  Over the next few years the cost of gas and electricity will not go down.  For the business user this means that although they may plan on changing to greener technology at some point in the future, the here and now is where change needs to begin.

Business owners are busy people and it is well understood that they need to generate business, provide a good service or product otherwise there won’t be any business to be concerned about – however it is also important to ensure that rising overheads don’t diminish the benefit gained by making those new sales.

Everyone is aware that this is logical, but occasionally in business when the days and weeks flash past without anyone noticing, the best laid plans and intentions can go by the wayside.

Those business owners who don’t have any members of staff who can be responsible for dealing with the reduction of usage of gas and electricity will benefit by making a phone call to independent energy brokers who will assess the situation, and discuss how they can assist in reducing energy consumption.  They may decide that the best option for your business is to change to another energy provider.

An independent energy broker is an expert who has a considerable amount of experience in dealing with many different businesses, from small to large.  They aren’t tied to any specific energy supplier.  Because they are independent brokers they are able to find the best price for their customers.  There are energy brokers who have tie-in with energy providers to pass customers to them.  They aren’t independent, and won’t necessarily be able to act in the best interest of the customer.

A truly independent energy broker can strike the best deal for their customer because of their position.  Energy providers know that the broker is independent and therefore the provider must give a really good price in order to secure the business from the independent energy broker.  This is the reason why securing the services of an independent energy broker is so important.

November 4, 2011

Take Independent Advice – Before Proceeding

Filed under: business energy — Tags: , , , — Newsroom @ 10:41 am

All the current talk is regarding the installation of solar panels at businesses which will then be able to sell excess electricity back to the national grid.  It does appear from information received that many businesses are going down this route without taking advice from an independent energy broker who can suggest the best way forward for businesses where the staff don’t have the knowledge which is essential before making a decision which may not be the best choice for them.  An independent energy broker has the expertise and experience necessary to guide businesses forward and will manage the whole installation process.  It’s great that businesses want to proceed – energy brokers ensure that the correct decisions are made.

The major problem of this week relating to energy has been centred around the probability that the FiT payments will be reduced on all solar panel installations which haven’t been completed by 12th December.  The current price being paid to those businesses which already have photovoltaic panels is over 43p for every kWh of excess electricity which is sold back to the national grid.  The proposed new figure of 21p for each kWh is more than a fifty per cent reduction on the payments.

The huge wave of interest over the past few months for these installations has snowballed.  There have been so many orders that small companies which carried out the fitting of solar panels have needed to recruit more people, and the new staff members have required training in order to be able to do the work.

Many installers have a full order book, but with the proposed reduction in the FiT payment, the number of orders is likely to dwindle.  Most installation firms have their diaries full for months, but with there only being five weeks until 12st December, then many installations already planned will lose out on the highest payments, and some business customers may decide not to proceed with the installation.  The consultation period relating to these changes doesn’t end until 23rd December which is nearly two weeks after the cut-off date.

The government hadn’t expected such a high uptake so this is their way of slowing the number of installations down.  Unfortunately this has a knock-on effect for every company involved with solar panels.  Companies who were expecting to have their solar panels installed during the early part of 2012 probably won’t receive the higher FiT payment unless the government reconsiders their decision after the consultation period.

This decision by the government doesn’t just affect their balancing of the books – it has ripples which extend a huge way, affecting the livelihoods of many people.  Perhaps the government will reverse their thoughts, but wouldn’t it have been better if they had considered all possibilities before going ahead and making statements which affect a growing industry.  The economy is fragile enough and the alternative green technology is good news.  Don’t knock the stuffing out of this new industry.

October 31, 2011

And Another Small Business Bites The Dust

Filed under: Business Electricity — Tags: , — admin @ 10:21 am

It is really sad when hearing from local businesses that they need to close down because of their spiralling business energy costs, which they can’t continue to pay.  I have just had an email from an acquaintance who owns a local shop.  He has sent this email to all customers and he explains that over the past three years he has been struggling to pay staff wages and that he now just has a couple of people on a part time basis.

Although the local supermarket is some miles away, customers when they are there tend to buy across the range of products, which leaves the smaller independent shop owners out in the cold.

Apparently the main problem for this shopkeeper was his utility bill.  The vast majority of the bill is for electricity, with a smaller portion being gas, for heating.  Over the past five years he doesn’t recognise his bill as being from the same premises.  As he commented – the shop is the same size, and he has the same number of appliances as before.

I gave him a quick call to find out if I could offer any assistance, but he said that making the decision to close was the hard part, and that now he had done that, he wasn’t going to change his mind.  I understand his point of view, and respect him for sticking with it.

Apparently the energy bills were the straw which broke the proverbial camel’s back!  He has been making a loss for some time, and only stubbornness had made him continue to try to work through the problem.  Eventually he wasn’t making any profit, and they were living on his wife’s salary.

I asked him if he had ever spoken to an independent energy broker – he didn’t know that there were energy brokers who may have managed to save him thousands of pounds each year.  It’s sad that although I regularly suggest that business owners should utilise the services of energy brokers, many small business customers don’t actually know that they exist.  Only when everyone is aware of the services offered by brokers, can the reversal of the spiralling costs for both residential and business customers have a chance to start to take effect.

It appears that I’m going to need to continue to bang on about the brokers who can save money for their clients.  This is important as it may well stop other shopkeepers from finding themselves in the same position.  With a little effort from the customer and some good advice from the broker there will be considerable savings in both the gas and electric bills.

There is a way for customers to benefit but they need to know about it.  As soon as I find out the best way of telling them, I’ll let you know!

October 11, 2011

Take Your Time – You’ll Know when it’s Right!

Filed under: Renewable Energy — Tags: , , , , — Newsroom @ 10:38 am

In the past couple of weeks there has been a huge influx of emails and post advising me of the advantages of solar panels.  In every case the inference is that the decision needs to be taken immediately otherwise the opportunity may pass – for ever!

This of course is absolute rubbish and companies currently want the business in all areas across the UK – in that way they can advertise that “a local home” has had solar panels installed.  The more popular and as advertising becomes more obvious there may be a waiting list to have photovoltaic solar panels fitted.

There will be a huge uptake in the fullness of time, when the UK population as a whole realise the benefits – however, trying to persuade people into doing something, isn’t the best way to gain business.  I will, when I choose, definitely have solar panels fitted, and I’m sure that many other UK residents and business owners feel exactly the same.  We do know the benefits but being slightly awkward by nature, we will have them fitted at a time chosen by us.

In the meantime we have reduced energy costs as much as possible.  We do have low energy light bulbs, and in readiness for the winter we have tinfoil behind every radiator.  We haven’t felt the need to switch the central heating on yet, but we do have individual thermostats on every radiator and switch them to minimum in the spare bedrooms.

I am occasionally asked the best way for a business to reduce its energy bills.   I know many people who own their own business in various industries and strangely, whilst at home they automatically make attempts to save electricity and gas, when at work it is a totally different matter.  In the workplace they grumble about the cost of their energy bills, but they haven’t done anything to reduce them!

The best way of dealing with the ever increasing energy costs at work is to make a member of staff responsible for getting all the information, and give them the authority to contact an independent energy broker to arrange an energy audit of the premises.  The broker will be able to give advice on green technology and whether it will be beneficial for your situation.

Remember that in the workplace there are many machines being used at all times, so when it is the end of the day, switch all non-essential computers etc off rather than leaving them on stand-by.  By making small changes it is possible to reduce the electricity and gas bill by a significant amount.  Check you usage regularly, and if you suddenly notice an increase, make the effort to establish what has changed to cause the difference.

A little thought may make huge savings which for those with quite small businesses and low profit levels may make the difference between success and failure.

October 6, 2011

Reduce Gas and Electricity Usage

Filed under: Energy Efficiency — Tags: , , — Newsroom @ 10:39 am

With all the conversations continuing regarding the new green technology, now is a good time to remind all small and medium business owners that they should be making every possible effort to reduce the amount of gas and electricity currently being used whilst running the business.

It may be a timely opportunity to reconsider how the business actually functions.  Just because the business has always operated in one fixed way, doesn’t mean that it needs to into the foreseeable future.  A business in the service industry may be able to function with a skeleton staff in the office, and other staff members perhaps can work from home for part of the time.  Some thought to reducing overheads, and in particular energy costs, may result in the business actually working better.

If some rooms will be left empty now is the time to turn off the central heating radiators.  In rooms where there are staff working ensure that tinfoil is placed behind every radiator to reflect the heat back into the room.  Change all light bulbs for low energy bulbs which will save a considerable amount of money across the lifetime of each bulb.  Another good cost saving when it comes to electricity and gas is by reducing the temperature by one degree.  Adjust the thermostat on the boiler and this will result in a substantial saving of about ten per cent.  There are other savings which can be made by switching computers off overnight, rather than just leaving them on standby.

The best way to establish the full amount of savings which can be made is by consulting an independent energy broker who will be able to arrange an energy audit of the business premises.  They will be able to arrange a new contract for your energy when your existing contract has ended to ensure that you pay the lowest possible price.

It is still very worthwhile to consider the opportunity to restructure the business in order to reduce overheads.   As costs are only likely to increase over the next few years, changing the business model could be a positive way to reduce overheads whilst staff members will be able to continue their work from home.  Bear in mind, that this will also reduce their travelling costs considerably, and shorten their working day.  Many staff members enjoy the opportunity to work from home, when this is possible.

It may be, if some workers are required in the office that this could be on a rota basis, with the rota changing, perhaps each week.  It should be possible for other members of staff who normally do most of their work on a computer, to continue with this work from home, and via emails with the office.  When phone calls are necessary to customers or clients, these can be made by the staff in the office at that time. This may all take time and effort to change, but by reducing costs considerably it may safeguard the life of the business into the future.

October 4, 2011

Your New Best Friend – An Independent Energy Broker

Filed under: Energy Efficiency — Tags: , , , — Newsroom @ 10:38 am

There are many different companies that are now offering to install solar panels to small businesses and residential consumers.  Those home owners and companies which are thinking of installing solar panels as a way of reducing their electricity bills, and also plan to sell excess energy back to the national grid, must ensure that, if they are planning the finance through the government Green Deal system, that they only use an accredited supplier.

Additionally, prior to even getting to that position, the suggested system of micro generation must have been recommended by an accredited and objective adviser after they have completed an assessment of the property.

The adviser will confirm that the financial savings are within the boundaries agreed by the Green Deal and until that time it isn’t possible to arrange to proceed with the installation.  The adviser will take care of everything.

An independent energy broker is ideal to provide assistance for those business and residential consumers who aren’t looking to finance through the Green Deal their solar panels and any other improvements through alternative green micro generation.  The energy broker will be able to provide considerable information and advice in order to ensure a successful installation.  The independent energy broker will also be able to arrange for the excess energy to be sold to the national grid.

Those people whether or not it is for business or residential premises are well advised to use the services of an independent energy broker rather than trying to sort matters on their own.  A broker will have had considerable experience in managing projects similar to this, and will be able to negotiate the best price for the installation, and will also be able to agree the most appropriate contract with an energy provider.

Whilst having green technology installed, it is still important to consider the older tried and tested methods of saving energy.  The major one which is also the most well-known is by loft insulation.  As a high proportion of heat dissipates through the roof it makes perfect sense to have as much loft insulation as possible.  High quality loft insulation can save pounds on gas and electricity bills.

Another method of insulation is by cavity wall; however, the cost in some properties is disproportionate to the amount of savings which can be made.  It may be possible to obtain a grant for the full or partial cost of the cavity wall insulation, and in those circumstances it is obviously a good idea, as there will be some financial savings.

It may also be possible to obtain a grant for the loft insulation which, if it is available, is a great bonus.  These grants may be age, or income related or may depend on whether the homeowner has a disability.  Whatever every business or homeowner does towards a greener future in the UK, it is really important to implement savings on the amount of energy being used.  A little thought and action can bring about some considerable savings.

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