Stay safe, keep warm and save money
It doesn’t seem like a day goes by without more news about the energy crisis that has been with us over the past year and of course, whilst we are all conscious about the impact that our household bills have on our bank balance, the effect of rising prices is just as acute for businesses, especially with doubt about ongoing government support. Add to this the suggestions that increasing domestic energy bills may start to force remote workers back to the office to keep their heating bills down and this creates a perfect storm of uncertainty for business owners. At East On Projects, we have some ways to help navigate through these tricky times:
Safety first
Before considering any cost reductions, it is critical to ensure the safety of your colleagues and buildings, through both PAT testing, which checks the safety of any portable electrical appliances in your business place, and EICR reporting, which is an inspection of the electrical wiring of a property and is required by law. We can manage these safety checks for you.
Check your current bills
You’ve probably heard recently that there is no point in switching suppliers at the moment but when was the last time that you looked into this for your business? It is a complex area, but you can make this much easier by using a specialist to investigate – we recommend Wildfire Energy.
The Wildfire team also suggest a few simple ideas that could reduce your bills in the meantime:
- Consider a renewable tariff as these are sometimes cheaper and, in any case, what’s not to like about an energy bill that helps to protect the planet?
- Switch off any equipment that is on standby when it’s not in use. Sounds simple but we all forget to turn off the printer or computer monitors before we leave for the evening and a single photocopier left on for just one night uses enough electricity for 5,000 photocopies!
Become a hacker…
No, not “that” sort of hacker …we mean that we all could do with learning a few life hacks for the office and for our Work From Home teams!
How about…
…installing Low-E window films? They can reduce summer heat gain, thereby reducing air-conditioning costs, but also retain heat in winter, saving on heating. Generally, this year-round solution can show a return on investment in as little as 3 years.
…considering solar panels? You can create your own energy security for your business and might even be able to sell surplus energy back to the grid. With ever-improving technology, the gains from solar panels are better than ever.
…looking at Infra-Red heating panels? IR heating is a low energy consumption, sustainable way of heating workspaces. In comparison to oil filled radiators or fan heaters it has low impact on HVAC, there is no fire risk and it seamlessly integrates into your décor. Available as a thin panel that can fit on the underside of a desk with minimal installation and immediate heat plus with the running costs of only 4% of the cost of a fan heater, we recommend the Etherma LAVA brand, which is also available as a freestanding stand or built into a ceiling panel with lighting. You might even want to consider supplying these for your remote working colleagues.
We supply and install all of the above solutions, just get in touch with us on sales@eastonprojects.co.uk to see how we can help.
Check back soon to see more tips on looking after your workspace.
