Business – Information On Reducing Gas And Electricity Costs

When trying to save money on gas and electric utilities for your business, you can take many of the same steps you would take at home, but there are some additional steps that would not apply in the home, simply because of the different way each place is used. Some steps will not make as dramatic a difference at work as it would at home, while others will be more dramatic.

If you are just starting your business, you will have the ability to shop around for an energy efficient building to use. Look for things like solar power, good insulation, plenty of natural lighting, and newer efficient heating and cooling systems. Even if you already have an established location, you can still take measures to lower monthly utility bills.

Start with some of the basic practices you would use at home. Insulate your water heater and pipes. Over time, this can make a big difference on your utility billing. Replace furnace filters often and consider replacing an older, sluggish furnace with a highly rated Energy Star model. Consider doing the same with an old water heater. Older appliances take more energy to run and can run up a utility bill considerably.

Make use of as much natural lighting as possible to reduce energy usage. Replace lights with compact fluorescent bulbs that last much longer and use up to 75% less energy. Turn off lights when a room is not in use. The same goes for appliances; turning off unused appliances, unplugging electronic machines that are not used frequently and turning off computers at night can make a big difference. Even when in stand-by mode, many appliances use up energy.

Take advantage of the convenience of your computers; use a fax machine or modem that sends faxes to an office computer instead of automatically printing every page of an incoming fax. Businesses are often bombarded with “junk” faxes, and the power used to print out unnecessary papers can be excessive.

You can get an audit of your utility usage or get software that analyzes your businesses utility usage. The information gained by an audit or computer analysis can show you where the majority of energy is used in your business, and will often make suggestions for steps you can take to reduce it. You will also be able to see the effect of any steps you have already taken to save energy. You can purchase utility tracking software, or download less functional freeware online.

By implementing these changes in your business, you will be able to tell you have saved a good deal of energy by the decrease in your energy bills.

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