FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Following the news surrounding the increasing energy bills for residents in the UK, businesses are also facing a crisis. Corporate energy doesn’t currently have a price cap in the UK, with some suppliers increasing their contract rates by over 120% in recent years, and fears this could increase further.
Businesses are also wasting a staggering amount of energy each year; in fact, it’s expected in 2022 over £33.9 billion worth of energy will be wasted from businesses alone.
With that in mind MSL property care services has highlighted some top ways which businesses can improve energy efficiency, and lower costs.
Avoid energy surges
A common way of easily wasting energy is the majority of the workforce powering on equipment at the same time. This can have a negative impact on your overall energy costs due to the surge of electricity needed simultaneously. It’s advised to stagger the turning on of equipment, to reduce the amount of energy needed at once.
Timers and schedules
Leaving equipment on unnecessarily can contribute to a huge amount of energy wastage. Making simple decisions such as turning the lights off when leaving the workplace, putting HVAC units on timers, or even implementing motion sensors which detect when someone is in a room can save huge amounts in the long term.
Maintain and replace
Regular maintenance is important to ensure electrical equipment and HVAC units are operating effectively. Faults in equipment can not only be dangerous, but also lead to excessive energy usage to overcompensate.
UpgradeUpgrading your property can have a huge impact on energy efficiency. Adding extra insulation can reduce overall energy bills by lowering the requirement for heating. Additionally, replacing windows and doors or sealing areas of air leakage can help improve and retain the temperature of the building.
Other upgrades can include things such as lighting, which in an office account for about 15 per cent of total energy usage. Try replacing older systems with new energy efficient options which can save up to 75 per cent of energy usage. Compact fluorescent lighting or LED bulbs can save great amounts of energy, and also last much longer.
ESOS Assessment
For larger businesses with over 250 employees, the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme is mandatory. This assesses energy used by the building and identifies areas of high usage with the aim to reduce carbon footprint whilst saving your business’ money. It’s important for large businesses which fall into the parameters to be ESOS compliant, so liaise with an expert to ensure your business remains within the law.
