Retail businesses face energy bills that can run into hundreds of pounds a week. This bill is the most significant ongoing cost for most businesses, and finding ways to reduce energy consumption can have a huge impact on profit.
The easiest way to save energy is to ensure you're getting a good deal on your business energy supplier's standard tariff.
A retail store's energy bills represent a significant portion of its total cost of operation. These costs include all lighting, displays, and electronic devices that a store uses to display its merchandise, provide information to guests, and keep employees safe.
A retail store also incurs costs associated with powering its indoor and outdoor sign lighting. In addition, costs linked to a store's HVAC, refrigeration and other energy-intensive procedures can also add up to a substantial business bill.
Apart from this, retail stores spend a significant amount on business gas for their heating and cooling needs. The costs of heating and cooling a retail establishment generally depend upon the climate; in cold temperatures, heating costs typically account for 60 per cent of total energy use. In warm or moderate climates, heating typically accounts for 30 per cent of the total energy used.
How much gas and electricity a store uses depends upon the size and efficiency of its building and the types and number of energy-intensive appliances it uses.
To get an accurate usage assessment, auditors typically conduct a site survey to determine exactly how you use each appliance throughout the day. These audits may also analyse current energy use at different times of day and during different seasons.
Once auditors have determined consumption in the store, they may calculate energy use for a full year and compare it to industry and regional average energy-use statistics to determine whether the store saves on business electricity.
Typically, auditors determine business electricity and gas usage by multiplying usage per square foot by the size of the store in square feet. For example, if a business uses 10-kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per square foot each year and is 5,000 square feet in size, its energy use would equal 50,000 kWh per year.
There are several ways that a business can cut back on its energy bills. These include:
LED lighting involves several benefits over traditional lighting. Some of these benefits include cost savings of up to 80 per cent, reduced maintenance costs due to the long life span of LED lights, and it also helps enhance the appearance of specific items within a retail store.
LED lighting offers savings because it uses power more efficiently than traditional lighting. For example, LED bulbs can produce the same amount of light as a 60-watt tungsten bulb using only 24 watts of energy. A traditional tungsten bulb would require 40-watts to produce the same results.
This way, stores can lower expenses and also cut back on business electricity usage. You should ideally replace all inefficient lights in the retail store with efficient LED lighting.
Heating timers are saving devices that you can programme to heat the store only during specific times. For example, when the store is closed, it is likely not necessary to use heating equipment because most people are not inside the establishment.
Consequently, businesses can save money since heating does not have to be used as often or at all when a store is not open for business. Additionally, you can cut back expenses further by lowering the temperature of the heaters to saving levels.
You can also programme heating timers to heat a store between specific times. This programming allows business energy bills to be cut back on even further since energy utilisation will not have to occur as often or at all.
One of the most effective techniques is to encourage employees to power down electronic equipment. In addition, employees should be encouraged to learn how their devices at work can maximise efficiency and how they can save by powering them off when not in use.
It's a good idea to use software to help employees learn how energy is consumed and where it can be saved. For example, some systems show business energy utilisation bars and percentage levels. Hence, employees understand the load certain energy consumers place on grids and how much power can be saved by turning them off when not in use.
By installing such software, employees will be better informed on saving practices and likely follow energy-saving suggestions. It also makes sense for energy-saving software to be the standard in the management of commercial buildings.
Electric vehicles have recently become popular energy-efficient modes of transportation. Electric vehicles are powered by efficient batteries that can be recharged at specific charging stations or even at home overnight.
Stores with large parking lots should consider installing energy-saving charging equipment to allow customers, suppliers and employees to learn more about conservation practices through electric vehicle use. Additionally, you can achieve savings through business energy-saving software installed in the vehicle and shows utilisation.
Electric vehicles run on efficient batteries that can either be charged in charging stations or at home. Store owners should consider installing chargers in the parking lot to encourage employees, customers and suppliers to learn more about conservation through electric vehicle use.
When deciding on a retail business supplier, it's important to compare business electricity prices.
Suppliers will generally offer rates that vary depending on location and energy consumption. Therefore, it's important to consider prices when looking at suppliers to find the supplier that offers the best business energy deals.
Business Energy UK provides a comparison service backed by industry experts who can help retail businesses make saving decisions. You can explore different business suppliers and deals simply by visiting the website or checking out our homepage for more details.
A store can best reduce business electricity consumption by encouraging its employees to learn skills and teaching them saving techniques. For example, employees should be encouraged to use energy-saving devices that can help cut back on business electricity usage, such as energy-efficient light bulbs.
Training your employees ensures the team will follow you can achieve energy-saving practices and energy savings. It's also good to use energy software to show retail business energy consumption levels and energy savings achieved by turning electronics off when not in use. These steps will help a business reduce consumption and costs, resulting in greater energy efficiency.
Retail business energy costs vary depending on utility costs. Energy expenses for retail stores are usually higher than other businesses because energy utilities provide energy for heating, cooling and lighting purposes.
This type of energy is needed to make products more marketable during durations when people shop at retail stores that can be near the clock. For example, a small business may pay £3,000 t0 £4,000 per year, while a larger business may pay around £11,000.
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