Just about everything is becoming smart. From home devices to TVs, doorbells, and even vacuum cleaners. With the technology available to make any typical domestic and commercial appliance ‘smart’, even the tools we use to control heat and lighting have become smart. Now we are seeing the rise of smart lighting, both in homes and in businesses. With the use of smart light bulbs. But what benefits do they provide and are they really the smartest option when it comes to saving you money?   How to utilise smart lighting in workplaces  In order to get the most out of smart lighting, it’s a good idea to think about how best to apply this to your business. But first, consider how exactly does smart lighting work? And what makes it different to traditional bulbs like LEDs?  Smart bulbs are actually a variation of an LED bulb. They are simply internet-connected. Making them a much more customisable lighting option. Smart bulbs can be accessed both manually but also by mobile devices via brand applications. These apps allow users to customise their lighting usage down to very specific requirements, such as the colour of the bulb, brightness, timing of the light being on or off. With accessibility via an app, this also means that lighting throughout the building, wherever it may be, can be controlled off-site.   The benefits of smart lighting for business For businesses the option to switch bulbs to smart bulbs provides a number of benefits.  From gaining even greater control over the usage of lighting, to controlling the intensity of lighting and creating the perfect working environment.  For businesses looking to cut back on their energy consumption, smart bulbs allow time scheduling and the ability to control lighting from outside the room. So, on one of those days where you’re rushing to get home from work and forget to switch off the lights, you can simply access the bulb via the mobile app and turn off the lights, from home, the supermarket, the kids’ school or just outside the building. Plus, being able to schedule your lighting use means when the lights don’t need to be on or very bright, you can control this, helping to minimise energy waste and cut back your business energy costs.  What’s more, with this added control you can create a working environment that is comfortable but encourages productivity for your employees. Many studies into the working environment and how lighting can impact a person’s productivity levels have been conducted. With results highlighting that lighting that matches the typical movement of the sun throughout the day, from brightness to positioning, has a positive effect on a person’s ability to focus. With many employees found to struggle when working in very brightly lit environments.    Factors to consider when going smart As with all IoT products, smart bulbs do come with some concerns. Particularly if you consider the security of these technologies. While we continue to see developments within the security of new IoT devices, it is vital that you pay attention to the vulnerabilities of your chosen smart lighting solution. Considering how it may put your business at risk of attacks. Some good ways to avoid putting your business at risk are to do your research and to keep your smart bulbs and other smart devices connected to a separate network that would not allow access to any of your business’ financial and sensitive data.  Switching to smart LED light bulbs isn’t essential but in conclusion it can certainly offer your business some benefits and give you greater control over your energy usage. Meanwhile, for those who are yet to be convinced by smart devices, simply switching traditional bulbs to standard LED bulbs is an excellent way to improve the energy efficiency of your business and cut your energy costs.  For more smart devices, why not consider a business smart meter? Monitor your energy consumption, spending and more in a simple and easy-to-use way. For more energy saving tips and advice on how to improve the energy efficiency of your business premises, check out more of our D-ENERGi blogs.

In today’s environmentally conscious world, consumers, investors, and employees are increasingly prioritising sustainability when making decisions. As a result, businesses that can effectively position themselves as leaders in sustainability can gain a significant competitive advantage.  There are several ways a company can implement sustainability strategies, one of which is energy efficiency. Taking a positively sustainable approach to your business’ energy usage is a brilliant way to reduce energy consumption, improve the carbon footprint, maintain a positive reputation, but also benefit from a reduction in energy bills, saving the business money too. In this blog we explain the reasons why positioning your business as a leader in sustainability is a good thing and the benefits this provides.    Key strategies for positioning your business as a leader in sustainability: Embed sustainability into your core values and mission statement. Make sustainability a fundamental principle that guides all your business decisions. This will demonstrate your genuine commitment to environmental and social responsibility. Set ambitious and measurable sustainability goals. Clearly define your sustainability objectives and establish concrete targets for reducing your carbon footprint, conserving resources, and promoting social equity. Track your progress regularly and communicate your achievements to stakeholders. Adopt sustainable business practices across all operations. Implement energy-efficient practices, reduce waste, source sustainable materials, and minimise your environmental impact throughout your value chain.   The benefits of being a sustainability leader in your industry  By working to establish your business as a sustainability leader in your industry, not only will you work to improve the energy efficiency of your business and help to reduce your impact on the environment, but your reputation will benefit also. Some of the many benefits of prioritising your sustainability strategy can be found below:   Enhanced Brand Reputation and Customer Loyalty – Consumers have been found to be increasingly seeking out companies that align with their values, particularly those that prioritise sustainability. By demonstrating a commitment to environmental and social responsibility, businesses can enhance their brand reputation, attract environmentally conscious customers, and nurture long-term customer loyalty.   Improve your company’s impact on the environment – Ultimately one of the key goals of pushing sustainability principles forward is to improve the impact of which organisations and individuals have on the environment. Saving the planet and working to reduce harmful emissions is imperative for the preservation of future generations. By being a leader in your industry, you can encourage your competitors and partners to follow suit. Rather than competing with one another, this is a great opportunity for businesses to come together with a shared goal.    Improved financial performance – Sustainability practices can lead to significant cost savings, particularly through reduced energy consumption, waste management, and resource utilisation. These cost reductions can directly translate into improved profitability and financial performance. A great opportunity for businesses to help the environment whilst cutting costs and making greater profits.   Strengthen relationships with investors and suppliers – Those with a key interest in your business will be much more likely to place greater trust within the scalability and longevity of your business if you begin to place yourself as a leader in sustainability now rather than later. With an expectation on businesses to make big changes before it’s too late, investors, partners, and suppliers, are paying closer attention to those businesses who are actively making a change.    As sustainability leaders, businesses can play a significant role in shaping a more sustainable future for the planet and society. By demonstrating best practices and advocating for sustainable policies, businesses can help mitigate climate change, conserve resources, and promote social equity. This can be done in a number of ways, but some great places to start are to consider renewable energy supplies and look at ways to reduce your energy usage, and carbon emissions. For more support of this, our team can provide the advice and details of our services you may need to access renewable energy sources, and take greater control over your energy usage (smart meter roll-out).

Whenever you receive an energy bill, whether that is by post or via email, it may be tempting to put this to one side and ignore it. However, it is incredibly important to read your business energy bills when you receive them. This will help you to understand your energy usage and how your energy supplier has calculated your costs.  Our quick guide provides all the details you need to decipher your business energy bill and use this to your advantage.  How to break down your bill  Receiving a letter with numbers across the page, graphs and more, can make understanding your energy bill confusing. But, it doesn’t have to be. Being able to break down each section of your bill will simplify the information you have been provided. Bills will look slightly different, depending on who your supplier is. However, the majority of energy bills will display the following information in some format.  Your usage period – this will be a date range, indicating what period of time this bill is for. Usually this will be between several months.   The amount required – The total amount will be shown clearly on the page, this is the figure that you owe your energy supplier. Your energy consumption – Your energy bill will typically display the amount of energy you have consumed during this period. This will be measured in kilowatt hours (kWh).  Your meter readings – If you were providing your energy supplier with regular meter readings during this period, they will display your actual meter readings. If this was not the case they will display their estimated meter readings based on previous energy consumption. Your meter serial number must also be shown here, so be sure to check this is correct.  A breakdown of your bill – this will usually be included in your bill to further explain the figure you owe.  When you first receive your bill, you should read it through thoroughly and identify each of these key sections. If there is anything missing or information that you do not believe to be accurate, it is important that you get in contact with your energy supplier who can further explain this. If the meter serial number shown on your bill is incorrect, you must identify this immediately and let your supplier know, as they could be retrieving data from the wrong meter and making poor estimations.

Setting up your utilities is an important step in the early stages of your business. By doing this early on, you will be able to conduct forecasting, allowing you to budget for the forthcoming year. If you have never owned or run your own business before, you may be slightly unsure as to how setting up business utilities will differ from your own personal utilities. In this guide we explain everything you need to know, so you can get started making money and growing your business.  Identify your necessary utilities The first step in the process is quite simple, but will help you to prioritise which utilities you should be setting up first. For example, water, gas, and electricity, will be three of the most essential utilities you will need to set up before you can start running your business. Broadband and telephone connections will also be required to help get you connected to your customers or clients.  Choosing a business utilities supplier  Once you have identified your essential business utilities, now it is time to find suitable suppliers for each. There are some key things to bear in mind when finding the right utilities supplier for your business, these include:  Your budget  Your projected usage  What payment options are available and which would suit you best Check contract lengths  How to pay the best rates for your business utilities  Some of the most common ways to find the cheapest rates for your business is to use price comparison sites or to access the information of a broker. Although, the point should be raised, those who opt to go through these third-party services must be cautious. Read all the information provided before agreeing to sign any contract and be sure you understand what you are signing up for. With energy rates currently at an all time high, it may be useful to refer to information provided by Ofgem who is the government regulator for the electricity in Great Britain.  For water in the UK you will have to pay for any water that your business uses and the liquid waste produced from your premises. Ofwat is the regulator for the water sector in England and Wales.  D-ENERGi Business Energy  At D-Energi, we make it simple for businesses from a range of sectors to access competitive prices and rates for business energy in the UK. Our services include business electricity, business gas, business water, half hourly electricity and more. To get quotes for your new business, contact our friendly team today.