Winter is coming. That means the days are shorter and the mercury is dropping – and keeping your business running as smoothly as possible during winter has some inevitable cost implications for your business.
This includes things like keeping your staff warm and your offices well-lit – and that’s just the beginning. Can your business do anything about the rising price of winter? Start planning now and implement a few winter best practices to minimise the effect on your business’s bottom line.
ENERGY & GAS
An increase in gas and energy usage is somewhat unavoidable during the winter months. With a strain on gas supply, businesses are often the first to suffer the anxiety of supply interruptions and the knock-on effect to their businesses.
Be neat with your heat Heating is something many businesses take for granted. For every 1° of heat, you can expect your bills to increase by approximately 8% – a notable cost to any business.
- Save on heating by ensuring heating is turned off at the end of every business day and don’t heat unoccupied or unnecessary areas of your building.
- Avoid heat loss and added heating requirements by keeping doors and windows closed as much as possible.
- Adjust the temperatures for lesser-used areas in the building (the corridors don’t need to be as cosy as office spaces).
- Keep an eye on your thermostat. Make sure it is located somewhere with a constant temperature, unaffected by outside temperatures and the temperature effects of machinery. Make manual adjustments as the temperature changes to avoid unnecessary heating.
Don’t pay for loss of daylight As the days shorten, the kilowatt hours from lighting increases.
- Make the move to more efficient LED lightbulbs.
- Control your lighting. Don’t waste energy on lighting unoccupied parts of your building and look into automated lighting solutions for the most seamless lighting options.
In terms of general energy usage:
- Making use of smart meters and advanced energy monitoring software can provide invaluable insight into your winter energy usage – and help to avoid any nasty surprises when it comes to billing.
- If your contract is coming up for renewal, this is the time to compare quotes to ensure you are on the best possible tariff for your business. This is also important to avoid automatic increases and to explore the best contract for your business’s ever-changing needs. At this busy time of year, take the legwork out of comparing quotes by working through energy procurement experts. Ideally, get a full-market comparison and advice around your energy strategy
FACILITIES MAINTENANCE
Get equipment working at its best, so you can too The British Institute for Facilities Maintenance reported that 25% of its members do not have a winter facilities maintenance plan and 26% of those who do reported that they do not review it annually. This is missing a trick in terms of efficiency – and cost efficiency. Servicing your boiler and assessing your building’s insulation could have a notable overall effect, but comprehensive, specialist facilities maintenance ensures compliance and reduces the chance of liability during the winter months.
WASTE
Putting your waste network to the test Inclement weather can put the brakes on waste collections – and this backlog can create a nightmare of storage and sanitation for SMEs.
- Working with reputable waste management specialists means you will get the most reliable service when it comes to waste collections – and a dedicated customer service team to assist when you need them.
Need help with planning to make the most of winter? Contact Smarter Business for comprehensive energy, facilities maintenance, waste, and business services.
