How your London Business can Improve in 2020
Traditionally, the New Year is a time to reflect, change and make improvements in your personal life. If you own a business, however, it can also be the perfect time to better your work environment. There’s a great deal of focus on the environment at current, with stories on climate change and the state of the planet monopolising the news.
No matter how small your business may be, any changes made to better your environmental impact are worth it.
Get a commercial EPC
Reviewing your business’ current energy efficiency rate is a fantastic first step in the New Year. The only way to know where you stand is to get a Commercial EPC report from our EPC London team.
A professional assessor will personally visit your office or business premises and provide you with a written report, known as a Commercial Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). It will show you on a scale from A to G how energy efficient your business is. Better still, if you don’t hit that green A ranking, it suggests simple ways that you can be more energy-efficient and eco-friendly when it comes to CO2 emissions.
By making some of the recommended changes you can even save your business some money by reducing energy costs.
Upgrade your utilities
When did you last upgrade your heating and air-conditioning units? Inefficient utilities can prove to be quite an expense on your energy bill; and for most businesses in London and the UK, if it isn’t broken, there’s no need to to fix it!
Older appliances are inefficient and costly to run, and that’s a fact. Your energy performance certificate will highlight how energy efficient the insulation of your building is, alongside your heating and cooling systems. These could all be costing your business a lot of money – especially in old London buildings!
Modern air-conditioners use about 50% less energy than they did in 1990, so price up a new unit or HVAC system. The outlay is tax-deductible, and you could start saving on electricity bills from day one.
If all else fails, consider having your HVAC system and air ducts cleaned and serviced with new filters. It can make the system even more energy-efficient – alongside lessening the noise in your office!
Swap out old for new
You may piously feel that there’s nothing major that you need to do to make your business energy efficient, or perhaps you don’t have a big budget for upgrades right now. Start small by swapping out conventional lighting for LED bulbs.
LED light bulbs are significantly more effective than their CFL or incandescent alternatives. You can achieve a higher brightness for significantly less energy (wattage) just by making a simple swap. The initial cost may be quite high – especially if your business has many bulbs to replace – but the long-term savings would be worth it. The average life span of an LED bulb is 25,000 hours, compared to only 1,200 hours with an incandescent bulb. Not only will you notice your energy costs, but you will also be helping the environment.
Invest in solar
Of course, the ultimate way to lower energy costs and CO2 emissions is by changing to sustainable energy sources such as solar power. Businesses that have sunny south-facing roofs or even waste ground can invest in solar panels, and in some cases government grants may be available.
The UK government has pledged to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. As prices for the installation of solar panels is falling rapidly, government subsidies are being withdrawn. However, schemes such as the Smart Export Guarantee allow small businesses to sell back surplus energy (such as at weekends when business production is minimal) to the national grid to help offset costs over time.
As well as leading the way with an eco-friendly business in 2020, moving to sustainable energy will reduce heating and cooling costs. It’s a win for the environment and a win for your business’ running costs.
Ready to go green in 2020? Start by getting a commercial EPC and aim for that green A ranking!
