Recent research has shown that the NHS's electricity bill is an estimated half a billion pounds per year. With the amount of equipment and machinery that the average hospital runs, this massive total shouldn't come as a surprise!

From ventilators and oxygen machines to the kitchen and canteen, every room of a hospital, care home or treatment facility requires a lot of gas and electricity. It's estimated that a hospital uses 2.5 times more energy per square foot than other commercial premises, as most of its high-powered equipment runs all day, every day.

This is, of course, reflected in healthcare services' energy bills.

Cutting Energy Costs In The Healthcare Sector

With so many energy deals available, though, hospital energy bills don't have to cost a fortune. Because reduced energy costs mean more to spend on patient care, no industry needs good tariffs more than the healthcare sector.

Many healthcare businesses are overpaying for their fuel, whether due to energy waste or being on a contract that just doesn't fit right.

Luckily, this can be easily remedied! There are many ways that organisations can cut their bills and make massive energy savings in the long run.

Benefits Of Switching Energy Suppliers For Healthcare Facilities

Buildings as complex and high-consuming as healthcare services need well-planned tariffs that take into account their above-average usage.

The primary reason for overpayment is companies being with the wrong business energy provider, or on a tariff that doesn't fit quite right. In these situations, switching to a supplier that better understands your needs is the best way to reduce the energy bills of your healthcare organisation.

Switching Gas Supplier

Gas is used throughout the healthcare industry, in dentistry procedures, surgeries and much more. Using Business Energy UK, it couldn't be easier to compare all the best energy deals, to ensure you're paying the minimum you need to for this crucial resource.

Work out how much you could save for your hospital today!

Switching Electricity Supplier

For healthcare services with high energy usage, a good electricity supplier is crucial. You can cut your energy bills significantly by switching electricity suppliers with Business Energy UK.

Switching Suppliers With Business Energy UK

If you need to switch energy suppliers, look no further than Business Energy UK. We provide a free online service that is sure to find you the best deals on the energy market.

Whether you need to power a care home, a group of hospitals, a dentist, or an opticians, we'll show you the best tariffs and energy suppliers to suit your business energy usage, finding you the best price on gas and electricity available.

We're more than just a comparison site; our team of experts are on hand to help you through every stage of the switching process, from notifying your current provider to paying the first bill on your new tariff.

You'll be relieved to hear that switching energy suppliers doesn't have to be a nightmare. We'll provide advice, empowering you to make an informed decision for your healthcare organisation!

Free Comparison

All you have to do is input information about your organisation's energy usage into our handy comparison tool. We'll compare several suppliers and present you with the cheapest ones available.

Whatever your fuel needs are, we sort through the options to save you the time of hunting yourself.

Specialist Energy Advice

Comparing deals isn't all we do. We also provide energy advice, written by experts with business owners in mind.

Our Knowledge Hub provides the key information that every healthcare organisation should know, answering all of your questions from 'What is the Ofgem regulation P272?' to 'Do You Need The Services Of A Business Energy Broker?'.

Whatever Fuel You Need, We've Got It Covered!

We understand that healthcare organisations have complex needs, in most cases requiring both natural gas and electricity.

That's why our site allows you to compare business gas, electricity and dual fuel options simultaneously - no need to switch between sites!

Energy Saving Tips For Healthcare Services

Once you've found the right contract, the best way to save on energy bills is to improve the energy efficiency of your organisation.

There are energy-saving measures you can implement to achieve this, from introducing a modern management system to upgrading your current medical equipment. Here are a few things that we suggest doing;

Conduct An Energy Audit

Knowledge is power, and you'll need to understand your energy usage before you can begin to reduce costs.

First, you'll need to outline a benchmark figure for your energy consumption. You can then hire an external consultant or an existing staff member to conduct an audit of your systems, using either simple methods like walkthroughs or more thorough ones like installing submeters.

This will identify inefficiencies and sources of waste within your facility, allowing you to target problem areas effectively.

Use Energy Management

When it comes to efficiency, it's all about control. Introducing smart measures is the most effective way of controlling your usage and eliminating waste.

Smart temperature systems gather data that allows for optimum heating and cooling throughout the building. Not only do they save on unnecessary heating- they improve the patient experience by keeping all rooms at just the right temperature.

Similarly, smart lighting uses the latest technology- including heat sensors- to turn lights off when a room is not in use.

Upgrade Equipment

Linked to the last point, upgrading existing equipment is a worthwhile investment in the long run.

While older technology tends to use more fuel, modern alternatives are more energy efficient. You'll make massive energy savings if you replace or upgrade equipment across the board.

Though this might seem like an unnecessary expense, it will undoubtedly save you money within a few months. Switching halogen bulbs to energy-saving LED lighting will similarly cut down your consumption on a massive scale.

Optimize Your Fan Sizes

Fans play a vital function for healthcare providers, from keeping operating rooms cool to purifying the air in patients' rooms.

Though you don't want your fans to be too small, it's important to ensure that they aren't necessarily large. An oversized fan leads to energy inefficiency and will result in you overpaying for utilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Energy conservation is more important in the healthcare sector than in any other field. Although inefficiency cuts into profits in every industry, when it comes to the health industry, it means compromising on patient care.

Money saved on electricity costs means more resources to put into improving the patient experience. As a healthcare provider, you should be left to focus on your patients without worrying about your energy bills!

Similarly, as large healthcare facilities use so much energy, improving efficiency means lessening their environmental impact.

There are lots of energy-saving measures you can take short of relocating your business to more energy-efficient buildings.

For starters, many modern facilities use smart technology to regulate their lights and heating. This reduces overall consumption by eliminating waste.

Hospitals can also reduce their consumption by installing HVAC systems, which provide even heating and cooling while being more energy-efficient.

It's estimated that per year, the average hospital consumes around 109 cubic feet of gas and 27.5 kWh of electricity per square foot. The amount of energy used by a healthcare facility depends on its size and the types of equipment it uses, however.

Buildings that have equipment running 24/7, like hospices, will require more fuel to power. In facilities where equipment is turned on only periodically, like dentist surgeries and opticians, energy consumption will be significantly lower.