Energy efficiency advice
Find new ways to lower costs and reduce your carbon footprint
Your first steps towards a brighter, greener future
Becoming more energy efficient is a simple way to help your business lower costs, reduce your carbon footprint and attract new, eco-conscious customers.
You can reduce your energy bills by making some simple changes. And when your efficiency strategy enhances working conditions, it can boost staff well-being and increase productivity.
So where should you begin? Getting a smart meter can help you identify the parts of your business that use the most energy. Once you understand that, you can work out how to use less energy, lower your energy bills, and reduce your carbon footprint. You may also find the Green Business Directory helpful in sourcing accredited Carbon Trust suppliers and installers.
To get you started, we’ve assembled tips and advice tailored by sector. Can’t see your sector? Not to worry – some of the tips you’ll find in the other sections could still help you lower your energy consumption.
Sector specific advice for small businesses with smart meters
Energy efficiency in catering and food preparation
In the catering industry, energy typically accounts for 4-6% of operating costs. And in a sector with high overheads and narrow margins, any energy savings made can have a big impact on your bottom line.
Some kitchens waste up to 60% of their energy, but without a smart meter, you won’t know where to direct your attention. So here are some tips on improving energy efficiency in catering and preparation to help you achieve some potentially large efficiency savings.
Cooking equipment
- Keep it simple – easy ways to save energy and money include turning off equipment straight after use and using lids to retain heat.
- Energy efficient equipment like induction hobs can be 15-50% more efficient than conventional appliances.
- Automatic switches that turn gas and electric hobs down or off when not in use typically save 5% of your kitchen’s cooking energy.
Refrigeration equipment
- Place your refrigeration equipment in the coolest part of your kitchen, away from cookers and ovens, to ensure it runs efficiently.
- Defrost your fridges and freezers regularly and avoid overfilling your appliances as they’ll have to work harder to maintain a low temperature.
- Minimise heat loss by installing self-closing devices on the doors of fridges, freezers and cool rooms.
Heating and hot water
- Don’t use ovens or hobs to warm the kitchen at the start of a shift – if your heating isn’t up to the job, fix it.
- Don’t heat your hot water excessively – the optimum temperature for stored hot water is 60°C or just above.
- Thermostatic radiator valves control the heat output of individual radiators automatically, lowering their heat output as the kitchen heats up during the shift.
Information sourced from the Carbon Trust – an independent body which helps organisations contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable future through carbon reduction, resource efficiency strategies and commercialising low carbon technologies.
Energy efficiency in hospitality
Whether you’re running a hotel, a restaurant or a bar, you can lower costs and reduce your carbon footprint by making smarter eco-friendly choices. When your premises are well lit, well ventilated and kept at a comfortable temperature, your customers are more likely to stay longer, spend more money, and visit you again. A smart meter is crucial in understanding how your business uses energy. Once you understand that, these energy efficiency tips can help you lower your usage.
Heating
- Use thermostats, time switches and radiator valves to control heat and reduce energy waste.
- If you have a larger hotel, consider creating different zoned areas within the building with separate temperature controls.
- In pubs and restaurants, adjust your thermostat timing to coincide with your opening hours.
Ventilation and air conditioning
- When you can, use windows and doors to ventilate rooms naturally to create a pleasant, comfortable environment.
- To avoid operating heating and cooling simultaneously, set a wide gap between the temperatures when heating and cooling kick in.
- Maintain your systems properly – simple measures like regular cleaning can increase the efficiency of ventilation systems by 25%.
Catering
- Apply simple energy-saving measures such as avoiding overfilling saucepans and kettles, only running dishwashers when full and ensuring fridge and freezer doors are properly closed.
- When it’s time to replace appliances, choose new energy efficient models.
- Consider installing heat-recovery devices in your kitchen to reuse the heat produced when you cook.
Information sourced from the Carbon Trust – an independent body which helps organisations contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable future through carbon reduction, resource efficiency strategies and commercialising low carbon technologies.
Energy efficiency for housing associations
When housing associations invest in energy efficiency, the benefits it can bring can have a direct impact on people’s lives. Using smart meters is a vital first step towards improving your efficiency.
When you use the data they produce, it can help you lower living costs for your tenants, improve their comfort, and reduce the environmental impact on local communities. In the meantime, these useful tips can help you become more energy efficient.
Your estate
- Ensure your buildings are properly insulated – do they have roof insulation, double-glazing and draughtproofed doors and windows?
- Make sure your pipework is properly insulated.
- If you use cladding for extra insulation, ensure it complies with government safety standards.
- Listen to your tenants – they’ll be the first people to know if one of your properties needs some work.
Alternative systems
- Biomass heating systems can be an efficient, eco-friendly way of heating multiple properties.
- If you have areas with communal lighting, solar systems can provide a cost-effective solution.
- Correctly installed heat pumps can reduce your carbon footprint and lower tenants’ bills.
Your tenants
- Before making any improvements, ask if your tenants have any insights they can share – for instance, would improved lighting in communal areas make them feel safer?
- Encourage simple energy-saving initiatives and explain the cost-saving benefits they can bring.
- Ask us for help – our experts can suggest some solutions to suit your estate and your budget.
Information sourced from the Carbon Trust – an independent body which helps organisations contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable future through carbon reduction, resource efficiency strategies and commercialising low carbon technologies.
Energy efficiency in manufacturing
In 2019 industry consumed around 16% of the UK’s total energy use, and industrial processes emitted around 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2e). Manufacturing was responsible for a significant part of that.
Data from smart meters can help manufacturing firms make eco-friendly choices. And the cost savings can be considerable. When they’re adopted by the sector as whole, the environmental benefits can be huge. Here are some suggestions to help you become more energy efficient.
Industrial buildings
- Consider using radiant heaters – they heat specific workstations more efficiently than convective heaters.
- Automated ventilation systems save energy by shutting down when staff members aren’t working or the related plant is off.
- Using a steam boiler? Try to check it weekly and make sure it’s serviced annually – poorly maintained boilers use up to 10% more energy.
Compressed air
- Turn compressors off when not in use – they use up to 40% of their full load when left on but not running.
- Maintain your compressors and check for leaks frequently – leaks waste energy and money, and reduce your compressors’ performance and efficiency.
- Adjust your compressors to ensure they meet, but don’t exceed, the minimum pressure requirements of your air tools and equipment.
Motors
- Show your staff when to turn off a motor, pump or fan – and encourage them to do so.
- Simple maintenance checks of your motor systems such as lubrication, belt tensioning, alignment and cleaning can reduce your consumption by 7%.
- Installing variable speed drives on your fans or pumps can reduce running costs by up to 30%.
Industrial process heating, drying and cooling
- Reduce heat loss in industrial ovens – don’t leave the doors of batch ovens open longer than necessary, and fit air curtains to the tunnels of continuous ovens.
- Keep your dryers well maintained – check for leaks, damaged insulation, and clogged or ripped air filters.
- Carry out planned, preventative maintenance on your cooling system, focusing on pipework and controls, water treatment, pumps and cooling towers.
Information sourced from the Carbon Trust – an independent body which helps organisations contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable future through carbon reduction, resource efficiency strategies and commercialising low carbon technologies.
Energy efficiency for offices
In the office environment energy is one of your largest controllable overheads. By making a few simple, cost-effective changes, you can potentially lower your energy bills by up to 20%, giving your bottom line a boost.
Improved energy efficiency can also positively impact the working environment, improving the well-being of your employees. If you want to identify the places in the office that use the most energy, you need to get a smart meter. Armed with that information, you can use these tips to become more efficient.
Heating your building
- Reduce overnight heat loss by closing window blinds before you leave.
- Use central heating rather than costly electric heaters.
- Install thermostats for each room so you can turn off the heating when they’re not in use.
IT equipment
- Encourage colleagues to save energy by turning their computers and monitors off overnight.
- Do your printers and monitors have energy-saving features? If so, ensure they’re enabled.
- When it’s time to upgrade your IT equipment, look for energy-efficient hardware meeting at least ENERGY STAR performance specifications.
Lighting
- Upgrade your switches – daylight sensors, motion detectors and timers can turn lights off automatically.
- Keep it simple – turn off lights that aren’t in use.
- When bulbs fail, replace them with CFL or LED products – they use up to 80% less electricity.
Information sourced from the Carbon Trust – an independent body which helps organisations contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable future through carbon reduction, resource efficiency strategies and commercialising low carbon technologies.
Energy efficiency and the public sector
Saving taxpayers’ money by improving the energy efficiency of your buildings is a sound long-term investment. And energy efficiency can bring benefits beyond saving money.
When it enhances working conditions it can boost staff morale and increase productivity. Also, if your organisation has an ethical and eco-friendly charter, reducing your energy consumption is a vital step towards meeting your obligations.
The data you receive from a smart meter can show you where you use the most energy. They’re the places where you can make potential savings, using our energy efficiency guidance.
Heating and hot water
- Set your indoor temperature according to the building use – warm environments like laundries or sports facilities require significantly less heating than offices.
- Install timer switches, so your heating is only on when your premises are being used.
- Is your water too hot? Every 1°C reduction in water temperature will reduce energy consumption by 1-3%.
Ventilation and air conditioning
- Air conditioning, as opposed to comfort cooling, should only be used in places where humidity control is required or where fluctuating temperatures can be damaging.
- For optimum productivity, try to keep your building between 20°C and 24°C – turn off the heating above 20°C, and only using air conditioning above 24°C.
- Save energy by installing variable-speed drives in your ventilation fans.
Lighting
- Keep it simple – turn off lights that aren’t in use.
- Upgrade your switches – daylight sensors, motion detectors and timers can turn lights off automatically.
- When bulbs fail, replace them with CFL or LED products – they use up to 80% less electricity.
Office equipment
- Don’t leave computers and monitors switched on overnight – leaving a single computer and monitor on 24 hours a day would cost you about £45 over a year.
- Install seven-day plug-in timers on communal equipment such as printers and photocopiers to ensure equipment isn’t left on out of hours.
- When replacing IT equipment, choose newer, energy efficient computers and LCD monitors whose screens use up to two-thirds less power.
Information sourced from the Carbon Trust – an independent body which helps organisations contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable future through carbon reduction, resource efficiency strategies and commercialising low carbon technologies.
Energy efficiency and retail
Reducing your energy use is an effective way to cut business costs and raise your profits. And as consumers become more eco-conscious, showing them you’re serious about reducing your environmental impact might help you win more customers.
Installing a smart meter will help you see where you use the most energy, and these simple tips can help you lower your consumption.
Lighting
- If you have display cabinets, LEDs are an efficient alternative to halogen bulbs.
- Daylight sensors, motion detectors and timers can turn lights off automatically in areas of low occupancy.
- Refurbishing your store? A lighting technician could transform your space with an attractive and efficient new system.
Refrigeration
- Keep your appliances clean and defrost your freezers regularly – they’ll use less energy.
- When it’s time to replace appliances, choose energy-efficient models with doors that close automatically.
- Don’t overfill fridges or freezers – this makes them use more energy to reach the right temperature.
Your premises
- Ensure your premises have roof insulation, double-glazing, and draught-sealed doors and windows.
- Automatic outside doors and draught lobbies will help maintain a constant inside temperature.
- Adjusting your heating or air conditioning by one degree can bring significant annual savings.
Information sourced from the Carbon Trust – an independent body which helps organisations contribute to and benefit from a more sustainable future through carbon reduction, resource efficiency strategies and commercialising low carbon technologies.