Energy-saving tips for larger businesses

Being green can be difficult for many businesses, here are a few tips on how to help your business save energy and save money in the process.

Encourage staff to switch off lights in unoccupied areas or where daylight is adequate
Clean windows and skylights to make maximum use of daylight
Turn off interior display lighting out of hours
Colour code or label light switches so lights can easily be turned off in unwanted areas
Computer screens and printers should be turned off when not in use and base units turned off at the mains overnight
Check that doors and windows are not left open unnecessarily in winter
Check taps are not dripping or left running.
Check room thermostats and thermostatic radiator valves are on the correct settings

Make sure you know where all the time switches are and make sure they are set to the correct time and correct day
Reduce 'on' times where you can
Progressive, slight reductions are best to arrive at optimum 'on' time.
Make sure that the heating isn’t too hot in mild weather or too cold in severe weather
If you have fan convector heaters make sure the thermostats set correctly – they may be located inside the heater case
Check that frost protection systems are not wasting fuel. Pumps should run when outside temperatures drop to about freezing and the boiler plant should only run if inside temperatures drop below about 5°C
Make sure ventilation systems do not run longer than is necessary

Gas and electricity

Make sure you make maximum use of cheap rate electricity at night. Equipment which does not require supervision can be timed to run on cheap rate electricity with simple timers
Make sure you have sufficient light switches to allow individuals to turn their lights off when not required. The cost of an extra light switch is about £50 and it could pay for itself in less than a year.
Check gas and electricity suppliers and prices
Replace tungsten light bulbs with compact fluorescents – payback in a few months
When replacing 'switch start' 38mm tubes install 26mm tubes – immediate payback

If you have fan heaters, are the internal filters clean? Dirty filters lead to loss of heat output with consequently longer running times.
Are pipes and cylinders adequately insulated?
Are any areas heated which do not need to be
Are any areas over or underheated? Proper balancing of the system may be needed and can produce worthwhile savings.

Can the hours of availability of hot water be reduced?
If electricity is used to heat water, can it be done on the cheap rate tariff at night ?
It is often cost effective to replace a central system providing hot water with individual water heaters – paybacks can be less than a year.

Can lighting levels be reduced?
Make maximum use of daylight by keeping windows clean and unobstructed.
Clean and check diffusers and reflectors.
Can more efficient light sources be used? e.g. Low voltage display lamps, external SON lamps for security and access lighting, compact fluorescents.
Do you have double tube fittings? A more efficient reflector is now available which can provide virtually the same light output from only one tube.

Power delivered by compressed air can be convenient, but can cost ten times as much as electrical power.
Find and fix leaks as soon as possible
Can the pressure be lowered? Check the requirements of your equipment and tools.
Turn compressors off during breaks and when not required.

Make sure you know where your water metre is - regular meter readings can help you to find out about underground leaks before too much has been wasted.
If you have had an underground leak it may be possible to claim a rebate for the water lost. Contact Severn Trent for details.
Make sure urinals don’t flush through the night. Devices which prevent urinals from wasting water can pay for themselves in a few months.
Check overflow pipes and cisterns for running water.