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Reducing Energy Consumption for Businesses

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The GoCardless content team comprises a group of subject-matter experts in multiple fields from across GoCardless. The authors and reviewers work in the sales, marketing, legal, and finance departments. All have in-depth knowledge and experience in various aspects of payment scheme technology and the operating rules applicable to each. The team holds expertise in the well-established payment schemes such as UK Direct Debit, the European SEPA scheme, and the US ACH scheme, as well as in schemes operating in Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. See full bio

Last editedMar 20222 min read

When you’re running a business, there are a whole host of different tasks to juggle. From coming up with the best product or service to figuring out how to market this to your customers, there’s no shortage of jobs to get done. For this reason, energy consumption can often be an afterthought for both small and large businesses alike.

However, finding out ways to reduce energy consumption should be one of your top priorities. Not only is it a crucial part of corporate responsibility as sustainability becomes more and more of a hot topic, but it’s also a great way for you to save money that can then be invested in other areas of the business.

Keep reading to find out how your business can reduce energy consumption.

Keep careful records of your energy usage and waste

The first step to reducing energy consumption is to find out exactly how much you use and in which areas. While regularly reading traditional meters can be a hassle, smart meters are a great way to efficiently keep track of your energy usage.

Smart meters can inform you of how much you spend on energy throughout the day, as well as identify energy-heavy tasks that could be streamlined to reduce your wastage. As an added bonus, you’ll get more accurate bills rather than estimates, as you’ll have a precise record of exactly how much energy you have used.

Set clear goals and targets to reduce energy consumption

Once you have some clear records of how you are using your energy, it’s important to identify the areas in which you could reduce this. You can use data analytics technology to support you with this.

Having clear targets will help to motivate you and your employees to make changes in the business, and can also provide an important metric against which you can measure your contributions to reducing energy consumption.

Consider heating and air conditioning in the office

Of course, it’s essential to provide a comfortable environment for your workers, which means providing adequate heating throughout the winter and air conditioning in the summer. However, you can reduce your energy consumption by thinking about the efficiency of your appliances. For example, if you’re using old heaters then it might be worth upgrading to a newer model that will save you money in the long run.

What’s more, if you can insulate your office well, then you won’t need to heat it as much throughout the winter months. It’s also a good idea to clean the filters of any fans, vents and air conditioners so that they don’t have to work as hard.

Offer flexible and remote working

While it might have been uncommon in the past, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that many office workers are used to working remotely, and they are familiar with the communication tools necessary for this. Allowing employees to work remotely is also a great way to reduce your energy consumption, given that you will have fewer people using the amenities and equipment in your office.

As an added bonus, flexible working helps to improve employee motivation and wellbeing, making it a win-win situation for both employees and companies.

Turn off equipment when not in use

It might seem obvious, but turning off equipment when you’re not using it is one of the best ways to make a more sustainable business. Encourage your employees to switch off their computers at the end of the day, and make sure that lights are turned off when a room is not in use. You can automate this by using motion-sensitive lighting systems that will switch off when no movement is detected after a given time period.

We can help

GoCardless helps you automate payment collection, cutting down on the amount of admin your team needs to deal with when chasing invoices. Find out how GoCardless can help you with ad hoc payments or recurring payments.