To save money on your gas and electric contract for your business, you can implement many of the same techniques you would use in your home. There are additional measures to put into practice in your business that can add up for big savings over time.
If you are just starting your business, you will have the ability to shop around for an energy efficient building to use. Look for things like solar power, good insulation, plenty of natural lighting, and newer efficient heating and cooling systems. Even if you already have an established location, you can still take measures to lower monthly utility bills.
Begin with the same practices you might use at home. Invest in a water heater jacket and insulate pipes from temperature extremes. These two easy steps can add up to big savings over time. Make sure to replace furnace filters frequently, and if you have an older furnace, think about installing a newer, energy star rated furnace for monthly savings. An older water heater can also cost much more to run than a newer one. Replacing outdated appliances with newer ones will usually pay for itself many times over.
If your building has good natural lighting, make use of it whenever possible. You can also save on lighting by installing compact fluorescent bulbs, which last longer and can use as much as 75% less electricity. If a room is not in use, turn off the lights. Do the same for office appliances that are only used once or twice a day. By turning off or unplugging infrequently used appliances and turning off computers at night, you can drastically reduce your energy usage.
Use the computer to receive faxes if you can. Many fax machines automatically print everything they receive, and business get many faxes each day that do not need to be printed. The power, and paper, used to print all those faxes is wasteful.
Finally, get a utility audit or use software that analyzes utility usage. This information can be used to discover where most of your energy is being used, and may even suggest ways to make changes to save your business money. Many programs can show you what kind of effect your energy saving efforts are making and how to be even more efficient with your changes. Utility Tracking software programs may be purchased and some are offered as freeware online.
With a combined effort and implementation of energy saving practices, you will see a noticeable difference in your electricity and gas usage.
If you are just starting your business, you will have the ability to shop around for an energy efficient building to use. Look for things like solar power, good insulation, plenty of natural lighting, and newer efficient heating and cooling systems. Even if you already have an established location, you can still take measures to lower monthly utility bills.
Begin with the same practices you might use at home. Invest in a water heater jacket and insulate pipes from temperature extremes. These two easy steps can add up to big savings over time. Make sure to replace furnace filters frequently, and if you have an older furnace, think about installing a newer, energy star rated furnace for monthly savings. An older water heater can also cost much more to run than a newer one. Replacing outdated appliances with newer ones will usually pay for itself many times over.
If your building has good natural lighting, make use of it whenever possible. You can also save on lighting by installing compact fluorescent bulbs, which last longer and can use as much as 75% less electricity. If a room is not in use, turn off the lights. Do the same for office appliances that are only used once or twice a day. By turning off or unplugging infrequently used appliances and turning off computers at night, you can drastically reduce your energy usage.
Use the computer to receive faxes if you can. Many fax machines automatically print everything they receive, and business get many faxes each day that do not need to be printed. The power, and paper, used to print all those faxes is wasteful.
Finally, get a utility audit or use software that analyzes utility usage. This information can be used to discover where most of your energy is being used, and may even suggest ways to make changes to save your business money. Many programs can show you what kind of effect your energy saving efforts are making and how to be even more efficient with your changes. Utility Tracking software programs may be purchased and some are offered as freeware online.
With a combined effort and implementation of energy saving practices, you will see a noticeable difference in your electricity and gas usage.
