ENERGY-SAVING TIPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

There are a variety of ways you can reduce costs in your business when it comes to energy. By assessing the needs of your employees and customers, you’ll be able to make a plan that helps you cut costs where you need it the most.

1. Don’t heat or cool what you don’t use. This may seem obvious but it’s easy to oversee. Only heat or cool the rooms and areas of the building which are in use every day, not hallways since they aren’t occupied for more than a few minutes. Rooms with low usage should have their thermostats turned down in winter and up in summer or off until they are in use.
2. Get employees invested. Saving energy is a team sport, not the sole responsibility of the business owner. Encourage staff to share innovative ideas on how to cut down energy costs – creating an energy efficient work culture.
3. Plug leaks with weather stripping and caulking. It's important to locate any leaks in your business to prevent costly heating and cooling loss. You can
easily plug leaks with weather stripping and caulking to efficiently manage your ventilation.
4. Install occupancy sensors. Install dimmers and occupancy sensors in proper locations to automatically turn off lighting. It's important to ensure that the sensors are properly installed. Even good equipment can be installed incorrectly, like in an obstructed location (e.g. behind a coat rack, door, bookcase or other furniture).
5. Turn off unused equipment. Office computer monitors are an easy way to save on your business's energy bill as they use a lot of energy. Ensure that monitors are set on automatic sleep mode during non-working hours or are manually turned off when not in use. Screen savers do not reduce energy use by monitors.
6. Reduce paper usage. Paper and printing can be costly for your business. Print only when necessary and double-sided when you do. This will reduce paper waste and help cut the energy required to run your printer, which reduces your energy costs and may extend the life of your printer.
7. Install hand dryers. Install hand dryers instead of using paper towels. As paper towel dispensers need to be refilled, they are a constant, recurring cost and more expensive than automatic hand dryers in the long run. It’s also less mess.
8. Insulate your water heater. If your business's water heater is older than seven years, be sure to wrap it in insulation to retain water heat. Regardless of whether your water heater is old or new, insulate the first three feet of the heated water out pipe.
By considering these steps, you may see changes in your energy bill. People often underestimate the little things they do at work, so promoting awareness about energy issues is important. Not only will you be lowering your energy bill, you’ll also be promoting a healthy environment within your own workplace. For more ideas on how to save energy in your business, visit sdge.com/business.