Running a business, especially a newer one, sometimes means operating on a shoestring budget. When it comes to your company’s budget, efficiently managing all your utility expenses can be challenging, including those for gas, water and electricity. A common operational mistake that a lot of site managers and business owners make is not reducing their overall utility and energy costs by implementing energy efficiency measures.
In fact, finding the right balance between meeting the daily utility consumption needs of your employees, customers and facilities, and making a profit, requires careful planning. To help you reduce spending and boost your bottom line, what follows are some tips for how to save money on utility bills.
Ask Yourself These Questions
If you’re truly committed to finding ways to reduce and save money on utility bills, the first step is to honestly ask yourself these important energy-related questions about your company’s various sites and business operations:
- Are there always lights left on in your business, even when no one is there?
- Does the heat run continuously during the winter, or the A/C in the summer?
- What type of work atmosphere are your employees most comfortable working in?
- Do employees leave their computers, printers and small appliances on all the time?
- Do you have leaky windows and doors that are allowing cool or warm air to enter?
- Are there ways to eliminate the constant need for the heat or A/C unit to run?
- Can we recycle or reuse paper, plastic and glass more to save energy and money?
- Are we wasting water by having leaky fixtures and/or toilets that constantly run?
- Are there any energy-saving “green” or smart technologies that we should invest in?
Once you’ve honestly answered these questions, it’s time to investigate in more detail some of the top ways to save money on your utility bills, starting with some for going “green”, or at least “greener”.
Stay in the Black by Going “Green”
Terms like “go green” and “eco-friendly” are heard everywhere, but when it comes to your day-to-day business operations, are you really listening? In addition to helping preserve the planet, “going greener” even a little bit will provide your company with easy ways to save money on utilities and, in the long run, boost its bottom line.
Here are some eco-friendly tips for saving money on utilities that you can implement:
- Establish energy-efficiency protocols. Most utility companies have off and high peak usage times throughout the day. Try to only use excess energy during the cheaper low or off-peak times, and make sure to circulate a memo with your newly devised energy-efficiency protocols to all your employees so that they can get on board.
- Get an energy audit. Pay to have an outside professional energy auditing company come in and conduct an energy audit at all your sites. Some of your utility companies may offer free energy audits, but either way, doing so will reveal areas that you can then more effectively address on the road to saving energy and ultimately money.
- Place all unused tech devices in hibernation mode. Laptops, printers and desktop computers should all be placed in hibernation mode when not in use, especially during lunch breaks. Doing so will not cause any saved work to be lost, so encourage your employees to put their devices “to sleep” before leaving their workstations.
- Replace your light bulbs and luminaires. CFL and LED lightbulbs and fixtures consume less power and last longer than conventional ones. But instead of replacing the entire light fixtures, consider switching out just the luminaires- a process that’s known as “retrofitting”.
- Print less. Find ways to reduce the number of pages and documents that are printed, as that will not only save paper, it will also lower your power usage and utility bills. And, your printers will also last longer once you’ve implemented this strategy.
- Install programmable thermostats. Programmable thermostats can be used to automatically adjust the temperature in your workplace when no one’s there. Using less energy for the heat or air conditioning will also result in significant gas and electricity utility cost savings to your business.
- Eliminate window and door drafts. Even small amounts of air leakage are indications that you’re wasting energy, so eliminate all window and door drafts and then watch the savings on your monthly utility bills add up!
- Add skylights. Notably when building a new facility or remodeling an existing one, including several skylights will allow more natural lighting to filter in, reduce the need for artificial lighting, and ultimately save you money on your utility bills.
- Invest in “smart” devices. From programmable thermostats, to smart meters and smart appliances, using these newer technologies will make you look smarter too when your utility charges start going down. Most of these technologies, like those from Google Nest, can be controlled remotely by downloading an app on your mobile device. And, they also allow you to continuously track your energy consumption.
- Recycle and reuse. Place recycling bins in strategic areas throughout your facilities, like in the break rooms. Ask your employees to recycle and reuse plastic, paper and glass items, whenever possible, as opposed to throwing them in the trash. Reward employees who recycle and reuse the most, which will probably also make a noticeable difference when it comes to your trash removal utility bills.
As you can plainly see, the topic of how to save money on utilities by thinking “greener” isn’t rocket science. To make it work, it just takes a little common sense, planning and effort!
Every Little Bit Counts
Most businesses have a few dripping water faucets or leaky plumbing fixtures. Over the course of a year, those little drips add up. But finding ways to save money on your utility bill doesn’t end with hiring a plumber.
In addition to lowering your water bills, here are some other cost-saving tips to help shrink your utility bills from Conserve Energy Future; ones that will also help ensure that your company stays “afloat”:
Switch off Non-Essential Equipment
Even when you’re not around, your office or facility’s equipment and small appliances are still being powered by energy. Whenever possible, switch off your computers, printers, copiers, laminators, surge protectors, scanners, microwaves and even the water dispensers- or at the very least, place them in energy-saving mode.
A good practice is to have a designated employee in each department or location who can switch off non-essential pieces of equipment at day’s end, especially right before a weekend or long Holiday break.
Eliminate Excess Energy Use
Brainstorm with your accounts receivable team about smart ways to save money on utility bills, starting with how to cut back on unnecessary and excessive energy use. This could be as simple as installing water-saving devices on workplace showers and toilets, or by turning up or down the thermostat by 2 degrees depending upon the time of year.
Other energy conserving methods include turning off lights when an area isn’t being used, like that spacious conference room that’s only occupied when meeting with clients, or getting by with less lighting in the bathroom or break room. You can even install some motion-activated lights or smart meters and programmable thermostats to help accomplish your goals.
White Roofs Save Money
Believe it or not, studies have found that having a building with a white roof reduces its summertime energy consumption by up to 40% because it’s reflecting some of the sun’s powerful rays. Hire a professional roofing company to install some white roofing materials, or ask your maintenance department to apply a white elastomeric coating onto the existing roofs of your various buildings.
Pay Your Utility Bills on Time
If you’re running a business, when customers or clients are slow to pay you for your goods or
services, it disrupts your vital cash flow. As a site manager or business owner, one of the easiest ways to save money on utilities is by paying your bills on time. That’s because not paying your utility bills on time exposes you to costly late charges, or even service reconnecting and restarting fees.
And, let’s face it, placing yourself at risk for these unnecessary actions is simply not a good business strategy. One way to ensure prompt payments is by replacing your antiquated paper billing, reporting and payment system with a utility expense management service.
Make it a Team Effort
Reducing utility costs at your company will go much more smoothly when everyone’s on board. Some of the ways to get your employees involved in the utility bill-reduction process include:
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- Establish energy efficiency protocols based on outside energy audits and circulate those new guidelines to all employees.
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- Educate workers about the principles and importance of business sustainability.
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- Monitor progress monthly by auditing your utility bills, watching for positive (or negative) usage trends, and looking for billing discrepancies that could be related to something like leaky pipes or faulty meters.
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- Recognize and reward individual employees or entire departments that have made a concerted effort to reduce utility costs with quantifiable results. And, also find ways to compensate team members who share good utility cost-saving ideas with you.
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- Encourage ongoing participation by forming an “energy conservation team” with noteworthy employees who have contributed to your ongoing utility bill-reducing efforts.
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Ways to Crush Your Utility Bills at Home
Once you’ve implemented some smart ways to save money on utility bills at work, why not take them home with you? The average homeowner can easily save hundreds in annual utility costs by employing these strategies in their personal dwelling- which will also help sustain the earth:
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- Adjust your thermostat up or down by a few degrees depending on the time of year.
- Buy smart appliances and install a programmable smart thermostat, all of which can be controlled remotely on your mobile device.
- Get your furnace and A/C units tuned up every year, or invest in more EnergyStar efficient replacements.
- Change your HVAC filter every month. Just because you’re using your A/C doesn’t mean the air isn’t circulating through the filter!
- Always wash your dirty clothes in cold water because it uses less energy than hot water.
- Eliminate all window and door drafts with seal-and-peal products, weather stripping, foam or caulk.
- Put your home computers into hibernation or energy-saving mode when not being used.
- Install water-conserving bathroom and kitchen fixtures, shower heads and toilets.
- Hang your freshly washed clothes up outside to dry instead of using your dryer. You can also throw some dryer balls in with a load to speed up drying time and reduce your energy consumption.
- Turn your water heater temperature down by a few degrees. Anything above 120 degrees Fahrenheit is overkill.
- Unplug smartphones, computers, pads and other tech devices once they’re fully charged.
- Replace old-fashioned light bulbs with CFL and LED bulbs.
- Switch from outdated and wasteful paper utility billing to E-billing.
- Make sure that you pay your utility bills on time to avoid unnecessary late charges, service interruptions and costly reconnecting and reservicing fees.
- Install ceiling fans in all rooms, as doing so keeps the circulating air’s temperature more consistent year-around.
- Check your ductwork and attic for areas where warm or cool air can escape or enter. If your ductwork has dust on it, that’s a good sign. If not, air is probably leaking out in that spot. And, if you can see the support beams in your attic, it needs more insulation.
- Add some dark curtains to rooms that get a lot of sunlight. That will help keep the room cooler in the summertime, which will allow you to set the thermostat a little higher and save money on your utility bills.
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We Help Businesses Save Money on Utility Bills
There are many proven ways for your business to save money on utility bills, including using a
total utility expense management service like UMC Solutions. For over 30 years now, UMC has been assisting clients in various industries by providing expert automated utility bill auditing, payment and reporting solutions. If we can help you lower your utility costs, and boost your bottom line, please reach out to us today by using our convenient Web contact form now!