What Improved Energy Efficiency Can Do For Your Business

Changes are happening in the way that UK businesses view energy usage, and your business cannot afford to ignore this. Energy used to be just another expense that needed to be managed. Now, having an effective energy strategy can make a big difference to the overall success of a business. It can increase profits, improve competitiveness and increase belief in the brand.

Businesses are moving towards green energy strategies and sustainable resources, as they strive to present an eco-friendly face to customers. Of course, they are also aware that being energy efficient can lead to significant budget savings.

How an EPC rating can help

• There are certain situations when you must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) completed for your business. Even if these situations do not apply to your business, it helps to have an EPC in place.
• The EPC provides a rating for your business premises, with A being the highest and G the lowest. These ratings tell you how energy efficient your premises is. You are also provide with information about how you can improve on your energy efficiency. At a time when being competitive means having to be as energy efficient as possible, this is vital information to have.

Why energy efficiency is so important

• You can see that energy efficiency is important to any business that wants to be successful, but why is this the case? Larger organisations have to register for the government’s energy savings opportunity scheme (ESOS), and report of their energy efficiency levels. You can check to see if this applies to your business.
• Even if ESOS does not apply to your business, there are still reasons why it’s important to be as efficient with energy usage as possible. Businesses of all sizes are recognising this fact and taking action.

• Money to spend elsewhere.

One of the biggest concerns for any business is managing budgets effectively. Saving money on the cost of energy means that there is more money to allocate to other essential business expenses. This may involve increased expenditure up front, if you want to invest in renewable energy, but the savings can be significant over time.

• Increased self-sufficiency.

As a business, you know that it often helps to be as self-sufficient as possible. On many occasions, the less you rely on external providers, the more you are in charge of your own destiny. Using renewable energy resources means that you can supply at least some of the power that you require to operate your business. Now that storage batteries are more efficient, you can easily store the power you create, to use when it’s needed.

• Improved brand reputation.

In a crowded market place, it’s important that your business stands out. You put a lot of effort into this, with your branding and marketing work. Given the current prominence of eco-friendly responsibilities it makes sense that you should want customers, and potential customers, to see you as a business that is responsible with its energy usage, helping to protect the environment.

Why are businesses changing attitudes right now?

• There are a few reasons why businesses are paying more attention to being energy efficient. Arguably, the main reason is that they cannot afford not to. Any business that does not treat energy efficiency as a priority is likely to be seen as less than reliable by the general public, and it’s members of the general public that make up the potential customer base for any business. You know how important it is that people do not see your business as being unreliable.
• Another important reason why businesses are paying attention to energy efficiency more than ever, is that it’s easier to gain an advantage today than it ever has been. Technology exists to allow your business to:

• Monitor energy usage effectively.
• Use smart meters and other smart devices to ensure energy usage is minimised.
• Utilise renewable energy resources and use the power created when it’s needed.

Put simply, it’s easier for businesses to be energy efficient and it improves their brand reputation if they are. You can see why energy efficiency needs to feature prominently in your business plan.

Improved energy efficiency helps your business to increase profits and grow and retain its customer base. You also have the peace of mind of knowing that your business is doing all that it can to care for the environment and protect the planet.

If you live within London, you could be eligible for help via the Energy For Londoners Programme