Most businesses have an energy management plan, and that is a great thing. Even small businesses are enormous consumers of energy, and that has an impact on the environment – and the bottom line.
But, if you are smart with your energy management plan, you can find ways to reduce a lot of costs. Energy management, in basic terms, is the use of management techniques, tools and processes that improve the energy use of your business. The same thing you do in your home – on a bigger scale.
It pays if all of your staff are in the mindset that energy should be wasted, but rather a project where it can always be improved upon.
Why Bother?
Energy and money are cut from the same cloth. Every dollar you make you need to factor in how much of that will be going back out of your bank into the hands of energy providers. Of course, as well as that bottom-line thinking, you should aim to have a good reputation.
Being eco friends, and environmentally friendly attracts more buyers. It’s that simple.
Rising energy prices are also a significant factor, and climate change legislation is putting the squeeze on energy-guzzling companies to look at ways to improve usage or cut back.
How To Make It Work.
If you aren’t well versed in energy management, it pays to have a company like Caslec Industries Pty Ltd come in and look at your needs and arrange it for you. Some older buildings aren’t equipped with the tools and systems to make it work – an overhaul might be needed.
The first step is commitment. You need to be committed to the idea that you will reduce your energy consumption. If you have staff, you should make them aware of what will be happening and why those changes are occurring. If you like you can have a team member who has the role of energy management coordinator (though you will work together on it).
Projects don’t work unless you have the right amount of information. So start digging into how much energy you consume, where are your peaks? Is it in line with what other businesses like yours are consuming? Check the data of a few years and look for any changes. Interestingly, it is better to take meter readings at the same time of the day, the same day of the week. It will make it easier to spot trends and abnormalities.
Make a plan. Now you have all of the information, you can make a plan to implement tools and systems. Aside from having an outside company come in and make changes, you can look to make changes in the building. Time electricity sockets, energy-saving light bulbs, staff involvement, better energy rating appliances and machinery – will all make a significant impact.
Once everything is in order, and you have been running your energy management plan for a while, you will need to monitor it and compare it to your energy usage over previous years to see if there has been an improvement.
Then all you need to do is keep going.
