Bills are seemingly rising endlessly, and lately, it’s been dominating the news. It’s not easy to run businesses with these volatile overheads, but it can be done.
You just have to be smart when it comes to your consumption – it’s really that simple, and while prices currently aren’t pleasant, they can be pushed down by cutting out on excess consumption.
This goes for everything utilities from water to gas to electricity can be better managed in most instances.
Not only that, savings can be made in more than one way, although you need to keep in mind that you’ll need to be switched on at all times (unlike your light).
So, let’s get into it. Here are the tricks that will help you keep on top of your bills, which will allow you to fight back as they continue to increase rates. It may not save you thousands, but a small difference is still a difference; it all adds up.
The Cut-Down
Cutting down is the first way that you can save, and while it sounds simple, it often requires constant vigilance.
Cutting down on utility usage for a couple of weeks then going back to normal consumption rates won’t do much, this has to be a consistent change.
That means that it also has to be sustainable; meaning that you’re not cutting back so much that you cannot operate your business.
Cutting down can be impossible in certain cases, such as customer-facing businesses, in which case it may be worth considering some of the following:
Water: Tap Muzzles
Cut down on water by adding a tap muzzle. Yes, the water will come out more slowly, but you need to consider that it’ll be getting used more effectively.
No overfilling sinks and less pressure used to wash your hands, this all adds up and can chop £20, maybe £30 off of your bills.
It’s a fairly small inconvenience considering that you are now able to use exactly as much water as is needed.
Electricity: Low Power Lights
For restaurants and bars, this is a great one; make the switch to low energy light bulbs in your premises.
This will help you save on electricity and can save you a significant amount of money as months and years pass.
Not only that, they will look great, giving your business a much more calming atmosphere that you could lean into.
Often bright harsh lights aren’t the way to go in restaurants and bars anyway, so if you’re going dimmer, why not save by going energy-efficient
Gas: Modern Insulation
Now this one is less of a cheap quick fix, but it’s worth the money that it’ll save you over time.
A well-insulated business could hold heat for 3, maybe 4 hours, a poorly insulated one could hold heat for around 40 minutes.
If you have to turn the heating on for an hour every 4 hours, that’s twice over a normal business day, if it’s every hour or so, or maybe even on permanently. Your bills will be through the roof.
Bring in contractors and get those holes and drafts plugged up as a matter of priority, your wallet will thank you.
The Wise-Up
It’s not all about ‘less, less, less’ sometimes having a good game plan is key and that can be done by simply knowing what you use.
Insight is a really powerful tool because it gives you a baseline to work from, you know what good months look like and you know what not so good months look like.
You might look at a bill and think that the price is criminal, when in fact it is a fairly normal rate.
Likewise, you may think that you are paying a normal rate and you are being royally ripped off.
You need to know what you are paying, what you have paid in the past, and what is normal for your industry, business size and area. Here are some tools that can help you do exactly that:
Smart Meters
First of all, you need a smart meter, for all of your utilities, this will help you keep on top of your consumption.
You’ll know when you are using more or less than usual, which will help inform your decisions when it comes to energy use.
They are also getting more and more advanced with certain meters offering remote portal options that you can access on your phone.
These portals will allow you to set limits and warnings so that if you are over on your energy use, you know.
Peak Times
Utilities have peak times, which bumps their costs up ever so slightly, and you’re going to want to avoid this where possible.
fill that sink up a little earlier or whack the heating on a little later, While you’ll only be saving a little, make it a habit, and it’ll really add up.
Peak times can vary depending on location, so make sure you know yours – particularly for water and electricity usage.
Training The Team
This isn’t something that you have to do alone, a lot of the time, good habits within employees can make the biggest difference.
Set some time aside and teach your employees how to cut down on energy (room not in use? Light off, use as much water as you need in the kettle, etc.).
If a whole team is working to cut down, and understands what cutting down effectively and sustainably looks like, you’ll see a stark positive change in your monthly bills.
Getting The Right Help
Lastly, you’ll want some assistance from the pros, that being your suppliers.
It’s their job to also provide you with guidance to help you keep your bills down, and if they do not – it’s time to switch.
Take Castle Water, for instance, a leading business water supplier, they have a skilled team devoted to client guidance as well as several informational resources.
To Sum Up
To finish off, bills are going up rapidly, but don’t just accept that, fight back. Your savings may not be equal to the increase, but they’re less than they would have been and that’s what counts.
