The heat we’ve been enjoying as a nation over the past few weeks has been a bit of a treat for us, considering our ‘summer’ often takes place over a couple of days at a random time during an atypical month. This year, we’ve seen the hottest temperatures in some areas for over 3 decades and it’s been delightful to be able to get out and about in the glorious weather.
When looking at the seasons from a business standpoint, it’s easy to assume that the winter months mean high energy bills. After all, that’s what we expect in our home life, with a rise in our heating bills inevitable as the cold spell strikes. While it will obviously cost more for businesses during the winter, heating the premises so that staff are warm, the summer also has some excessive costs to consider.
Most of the issue with OTT fuel bills is the forgetfulness of staff members and employers. It’s easy to switch a monitor off before leaving an office, forgetting to shut down the computer and leaving it on all night. Did you know that a single computer, if left on 24 hours a day, can add £50 to an annual fuel bill? That’s just one computer, too. Most technology-based offices have plenty more computers than that and if they were all to be kept on all the time, the effect on the energy bill would be huge.
As a business, you need to make sure that the price you’re paying for your gas and electricity is competitive and reasonable. While comparing the market for the best quote can help you to find the perfect answer for your energy needs, it’s also up to you to effectively monitor your business’ consumption. Use the expertise of smart meter engineers, one of the energy careers that didn’t exist 10 years ago, and have a smart meter installed to help you to see where your energy is being used, as well as how much. This will be able to give you pointers on how to reduce your consumption throughout the summer and beyond.
While turning off the heating in the workplace during the summer will help you to reduce your fuel usage (after all, chances of needing a radiator in this weather is slim!) there are ways in which your bills could skyrocket as the hot weather strikes – namely the use of air conditioning systems. While these may make you and your staff feel cool and amazing, the drain they have on energy bills is colossal. If you can help it, avoid using them – open a window instead and let the natural breeze circulate – you’ll be surprised how quickly it improves the feel of the place.