[New] COMPANIES WASTE ON AVERAGE A THIRD OF THEIR PURCHASED ENERGY. WHAT CAN YOU

DO TO AVOID THIS?

you make a plan to reduce energy consumption. Do you leave your lights on all day and night? Do you still use halogen light bulbs instead of LEDs? Are your fridges and freezers on 24hours a day, even if you only need to cool liquids for evening events? Do you turn on any appliances first thing in the morning to use them at lunch time? Make a list and start talking to your colleagues, to decide what you can turn off and who can do it.

3. GET EXPERT ADVICE

With energy prices soaring and an ongoing sense of instability, companies are increasingly worried about keeping their energy bills down and staying afloat. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are especially vulnerable, with more than half worried about surviving the energy crisis, according to the Federation of Small Business. Equally, as businesses renew their energy contracts, they are being offered contracts that are between 200%-500% higher than existing contracts. The government Energy Bill Relief Scheme will end in April 2023, so what can companies do to reduce energy consumption and plan for future price fluctuations? 1. UNDERSTAND YOUR ENERGY CONSUMPTION.

Better Futures+ is helping London’s businesses understand their energy consumption and make plans to become more resilient with bespoke 1:1 support, energy crisis workshops and on-site energy audits. We delivered 10 on-site energy audits late last year, where an energy expert visited business sites and helped the owners identify practical steps they could take to better understand and reduce their energy bills.

Speak to an energy expert who can help you identify appliances and equipment that are wasting energy and calculate how much you can save. For example, switching a fridge off for 14hours a day, when not needed to cool drinks, could save you around 28kW a day, which, depending on your energy contract, is between £6-£18 per day. When added up, this represents £2,200£6,600 off your annual energy bills!

Better Futures+ has partnered with Bexley Council to help local businesses through the energy crisis. If you’d like to speak to an energy expert, please do get in touch: marta.martinez@westlondon.com.

Check your gas and electricity bills, look into how much you spend each month and how much energy you consume. This will allow you to understand where your biggest demand is. For example, are you heating your office when no-one is there? A really easy way to do this is to get a smart metre, if you don’t already have one. 2. WALK AROUND YOUR SITE AND CHECK YOUR APPLIANCES AND LIGHTS

– IT’S CALLED AN ENERGY AUDIT!

Simply walking around each room and looking at which appliances use energy and when, will help

It is FREE because we are funded by the Mayor of London to support SMEs in the city to become more sustainable and resilient to climate change.