Research revealed that over three-quarters of small businesses have taken steps in the last 12 months to cut back on their energy use, and save costs and carbon
Over three-quarters of small businesses (78%) have implemented new energy-saving methods in the past 12 months – including putting air fryers in the company kitchen for employee use, a study has found.
Other common steps SME owners have taken when it comes to cutting their costs – and their carbon – include turning off and unplugging all electrical equipment at the end of each day (43%), and switching to LED lighting (45%).
In fact, the poll of 500 small businesses, with up to 50 employees, found that a quarter of these (24%) have introduced at least six new measures over the last year, to cut back on their energy use.
Exactly a third have reduced the amount of time they have the heating turned on, while 40% have turned down their boiler flow temperature by as much as four degrees.
And a fifth are now using a different type of heater or heating system, while 21% are trying to go completely paper-free – and 23% have installed motion-sensor lightbulbs.
For those who have taken such steps, they have typically seen their office energy bills go down by £450 over the last 12 months.
The research was commissioned by British Gas Business, whose enterprise director, Matt Wood, said: “Small changes can make a big difference to energy consumption in the workplace, and it’s encouraging to know a lot of SMEs are actively doing things to keep costs down.
“Although prices have come down slightly, we know many small businesses are struggling with their energy costs, and we’re continuing to help them find ways to be more energy efficient, and save on their bills.”
The study also found 35% of office energy-savers have found their measures to be “very effective” since first starting them.
As many as 78% have encouraged employees to make suggestions, as one in four believe their staff enjoy these new measures just as much as they do. And 74% have never paid more attention to finding ways of cutting their energy costs, than they have over the last 12 months.
More than four in 10 (45%) say they don’t plan to relax any of the measures they have implemented so far – although 18% claim the opposite. And when it comes to the year ahead, 36% claim they are likely to introduce yet further energy-saving steps.
It also emerged 34% have very much enjoyed implementing energy-cutting methods, and 66% find it easy trying to come up with new ways to save energy within the workplace.
Aside from the energy cost-saving aspect, nine in 10 also feel it is good that a lot of their methods are simultaneously having a positive effect on the environment. In fact, 21% of all those polled, via OnePoll, claim that reducing their company’s carbon footprint is more important to them than reducing costs.
Matt Wood added: “By implementing small, energy-saving hacks into their day-to-day operations, businesses can start to reduce their overall environmental impact, too.
“While saving on bills might be their primary motivation right now, rather than becoming more sustainable, businesses can feel reassured that the changes they are implementing are helping to drive down costs and carbon at the same time.”
TOP 20 OFFICE ENERGY-SAVING METHODS:
- Replace traditional lighting with LED bulbs
- Turn off or unplug electrical devices and equipment daily
- Reduce the heating temperature on the office thermostat
- Change the bulbs to a lower wattage
- Limit the amount of time the heating is turned on
- Switch the lights off and work in natural light
- Turn down the flow temperature on the boiler
- Install motion-sensor lightbulbs
- Use paper towels in the toilets, instead of hand driers
- Encourage working from home where possible
- Go paper-free, or remove office printers
- Reduce working on-site/in the office days to a minimum
- Upgrade to a more efficient heating system
- Encourage meetings to be held online, rather than in the office
- Only turn the dishwasher on when it’s full
- Incentivise energy reduction challenges among employees
- Give everyone a break during peak energy use times
- Only allow site/office use when natural lighting is available
- Limit the amount of time people are allowed to use the kitchen
- Get an air fryer for employee use
