Creating a budget and knowing how you will implement it into your everyday business practices is an important and effective way to keep your business energy costs low. Having a clear idea of how much you want to and can afford to spend on electricity and gas over a specific period of time (daily, weekly, monthly) will help you  to ensure you are not overspending and provide you the perfect opportunity to implement energy saving solutions into your business.   Review previous energy bills and business finances  To start the process of creating your business “energy budget” you should be careful reviewing your company finances from years prior. Taking a close look at your average spending and your annual revenue will help you to seriously consider how much you should be spending on energy and identify periods where you may have been overspending.    Identify your energy usage trends Once you have a good understanding of your past energy spending, you need to identify your energy usage trends. This means looking at your energy bills over time to see how your usage has changed. Are you using more energy during certain times of the year? Are there certain days of the week when you use more energy? Once you understand your trends, you can start to develop strategies to reduce your energy consumption.   Set realistic energy goals Once you know your energy usage trends, you can start to set realistic energy goals. These goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, also known as SMART targets. For example, you might set a goal of reducing your energy consumption by 10% in the next year. At this point you can decide on a realistic figure for how much your company can spend on energy over the course of a time frame. Although it is not possible to predict the energy markets, this figure can be the maximum amount you plan to spend per year.   Look at ways to reduce your energy consumption  In order to keep within your budget, you should consider ways to reduce your energy consumption. There are a number of great and easy solutions for this that will help you. More tips and tricks for businesses can be found on our blog.  Plus, taking the time to review your budget regularly and pay close attention to your consumption will allow you greater control over your spending. A business smart meter is one of the best methods for monitoring energy usage. Find out more about the smart meter roll out here.

As a business owner, you have countless responsibilities and important tasks to prioritise. It’s little surprise that often, reviewing your company’s energy supply may be low on your to-do list. However, just like personal finances or taxes, reviewing your business energy supply each year is vital for your bottom line. Although you may not be looking to change energy suppliers, it is always worth taking a look at current rates and tariffs and identifying areas where you could be saving your business money. With this in mind, here’s why you should review your business energy supply each year.   Identify Cost Savings Reviewing your business energy supply can help you identify where you are overspending and therefore provide opportunities for cost savings. For example, a business might notice that its heating or air conditioning usage spikes during certain times of the day. By analysing this information, business owners and managers can potentially adjust the company’s schedule to reduce energy usage during peak times, without sacrificing comfort or productivity. You may also notice that your current energy supplier is overcharging you, or there are better rates out there. Annual reviews of your energy usage and payments provides the perfect opportunity to consider changing suppliers.    Choosing the Right Plan Businesses can find themselves stuck with the wrong energy plan or supplier if they never review their options. Energy plans and rates can frequently change over time with the addition of new products or if there are changes in company energy usage patterns. You may find that by shopping around, you can find a better plan or provider that saves you money and better suits your business needs. It is worth speaking with your energy supplier if you do notice any changes or better deals as they can often provide solutions to help mitigate any issues with your current energy tariff or deal. If you are a D-ENERGi business energy customer and would like to discuss your current tariff, contact our team here.    Environmental Benefits Apart from savings for your business, reviewing your energy supply each year can also help you evaluate your carbon footprint and contribute to helping the environment. With sustainable energy sources becoming more accessible and popular, reviewing your options with an energy provider that focuses on renewable energy can be a smart decision for your company. You may also find it is the right time to make the switch to a smart business energy meter. Which will allow you greater opportunity to review your usage and spending in real time.    Making a Compelling Case for Change Convincing management of the need for change regarding energy usage or provider can be difficult without clear evidence and data on the impact of any potential changes. Reviewing your energy supplies each year allows you to keep reports and comparative data, which can be used when you need to show relevant decision-makers what can be done to optimise efficiencies in your business. Having the data to back up your argument is the best way to win over your management team.    In conclusion, reviewing your energy supply each year is vital to ensuring your business is running efficiently and at a cost-effective rate. It can bring many benefits and potentially save your company money. Given the benefits and potential savings, reviewing your business energy supplies should not be neglected on your to-do list.

Improving the energy efficiency of a hotel you run or own is a great way to save money and reduce the carbon footprint of your business. Not only does this help to reduce business costs but it helps to save the planet too! Since a hotel is unlike any other type of business there are several steps, some of which unique to the hospitality industry, that you can take to make sure that your hotel runs as efficiently as possible. In this blog we offer some top tips for hotel businesses, with advice on how to apply some of the simplest methods for reducing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency within a hotel.   Consider all areas of the hotel from the bedrooms to the kitchen  Energy efficiency should start in the key areas of your hotel but should become a focus within every aspect and area of the establishment. From the guest rooms through to the kitchen and staff areas. Good energy saving practices should be carried out throughout.  In areas where guests are not permitted, staff can ensure an energy saving culture is created. This can include teams of people making sure that lights and appliances are switched off when necessary. As well as overseeing the proper use of appliances and making sure that these are serviced regularly.    Installing Energy Efficient Technologies  Introducing  energy efficient technologies can make a big difference to the overall energy usage of your hotel. Technologies such as LED lighting, solar panels and automatic heating systems are all great options for reducing energy expenditure. As well as offering long-term savings in terms of costs, they also help to significantly reduce carbon emissions which is great news for the environment!  These technologies can also have  additional benefits such as improved comfort for guests and staff. For example, LED lighting can provide a brighter, cleaner light than traditional bulbs and solar panels can help to heat hot water. If you’re considering introducing energy efficient technologies into your hotel it’s important to do research and find out which are most suitable for your needs.   Educating Guests on Energy In the guest rooms, energy-efficient lighting can be installed which is not only more cost effective but also gives off a more pleasant light. Guests should also be encouraged to switch lights and appliances off when they are not in use or when they leave their room for extended periods of time. For most hotels, laundry has become a hugely expensive and large consumer of energy. This is why you may have already seen some hotels requesting guests use their provided hotel towels for more than one day. This way the hotels can cut down on the amount of energy used for washing and drying.   Regular Inspections and Maintenance  Regular inspections and maintenance of your hotel’s energy systems are also important to ensure that they are running at their most efficient levels. Any potential problems should be looked into and fixed as soon as possible in order to avoid expensive repairs or replacements later on. This can include anything from checking insulation to making sure air conditioning units are serviced.  Making your hotel energy efficient is not only good for business but also important for the planet. By focusing on reducing energy consumption and implementing energy saving technologies, hotels can help to reduce their carbon footprint and make a positive contribution to environmental sustainability. With some thought and effort any hotel can become more eco-friendly and reap the rewards in terms of savings. Creating  an energy efficient hotel is a great way to ensure the future of your business and the planet.

Restaurants require a lot of energy in order to make meals, serve customers, and simply stay open. From heating food, to lighting the restaurant, electricity and gas are both massive costs for restaurant businesses. In fact, electricity and gas make up a large majority of the outgoings of a restaurant. While the rest of the world looks at ways to go green and switch to renewable energy, you may be wondering how, as such a large consumer of energy, you can improve the energy efficiency of your restaurant business. With our years of experience supplying energy to business energy customers, we have compiled some of our tips. Which have been tailored specifically for restaurants and food service business owners.   Invest in energy saving commercial appliances  Ovens, hobs, grills, fryers and all other electrical cooking appliances in your commercial kitchen are bound to use large amounts of energy. By investing in energy saving appliances you can reduce your energy consumption, cut your business energy bills, all while improving the efficiency of your restaurant.  When shopping for new commercial kitchen appliances you should pay close attention to their efficiency rating or energy label. A rating of between A-G is given to each appliance and gadget and helps you to identify the most energy efficient products on the market. More information about the ranking of appliances can be found here. However, it is important to note that this labeling system is often updated and revised, so keeping up to date with changes is important.   Switch to LEDs for lighting  If your restaurant requires modernisation or you work out of an older building, it would certainly be worth considering switching your current lighting to LEDs. LED bulbs provide  a brighter atmosphere and use up to 90% less energy than traditional bulbs. This makes for a simple and very effective change that will allow you to save energy, money and reduce the carbon footprint of your restaurant.   Monitor your energy usage  Paying close attention to your energy usage will also help in ensuring that your restaurant is energy efficient. Being able to oversee how much energy you are consuming each day or even each hour will allow you to make even the smallest of changes, like cutting down on the use of certain appliances or switching off energy demanding electrical goods that are not needed.  One of the best ways you can do this is by using a smart meter for businesses. At D-ENERGi we are supporting the roll-out of smart meters across the UK for businesses, and can assist you in the installation and set up of a new smart meter. If you are a D-ENERGi business customer and would like more information about a business smart meter for your restaurant, do not hesitate to contact us.