Optimising your business energy quote can provide several benefits, such as enhancing your economic prospect, reducing energy consumption, and establishing your brand as environmentally sustainable.  Ensuring financial stability is crucial for all businesses, but sometimes business energy costs were taken a backseat when exploring ways to minimise expenses. To assist you, here are some remarkable tips, businesses of all scales can potentially reduce their business energy costs.   #1 Check out the business energy deals on offer The easiest way to save money on your business energy is to look at all of the deals available in the energy market, and pick the best one for you. Many businesses fail to realise this, with research showing that 46% of small businesses don’t review their energy plan options at the end of their contract – meaning they are paying significantly more than they should for their business gas and electricity. When an energy contract comes to an end, many business energy suppliers will just automatically roll customers onto a more expensive deal – flexible tariff, but this can be avoided if you find a cheaper deal before the end of your contract and switch over to another business energy suppliers. At D-ENERGi we have built up strong relationships with many business energy suppliers, and so are able to offer you accurate energy quotes based on your consumption and help you to make the most of your energy budget. You don’t even need to negotiate with any of the business energy suppliers – we do it all for you. Saving your valuable time and money.   #2 Consider smaller business energy suppliers A lot of business owners fall into the trap of thinking that their business energy has to come from one of the “Big Six” suppliers –British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON,  Npower, SSE, and Scottish Power. However, despite the fact that these companies have the biggest market share, they are not the only energy suppliers out there. There are lots of smaller business energy suppliers who are already having a big impact on the business energy market, providing the “Big Six” suppliers with some competition prices, which offers you the best potential for greater savings on your energy costs. #3 Reduce your business energy consumption and make a positive impact on the environment The simplest and most effective method of lowering your business energy bill is to reduce your energy consumption. Heating and lighting are significant contributors to overall energy costs in most businesses. Even a small adjustment, such as lowering your heating down by just one degree could save you 8% on your energy costs. And it has been estimated that using energy-efficient lighting could reduce your annual business electricity bill by 66%. By reducing your business energy consumption, you can establish your brand as environmentally sustainable, reduce your carbon emissions, and attract environmental aware customers. If you want to make significant savings on your business gas and business electricity costs, get in touch with our friendly team at D-ENERGi. We guarantee that all calls will be answered within five rings or less by a real person to assist you in finding a tailored solution.

Now that Spring is officially here, we’re anticipating at least some sunnier days on the horizon. And while much of your energy costs will be higher in winter, it is always a good idea to plan for the next few months ahead and take the necessary steps to prepare your business for any changes that may occur due to a shift in the season and the weather.   The importance of energy efficiency in summer With the push for greener business practices throughout the UK by the government and environmentalists, energy efficiency can be practised year round. With several practices being especially applicable during the summer months. This summer, keep your carbon emissions low and continue on your journey to net zero emissions with our top tips and best practices.   Assess current energy usage Leaving the winter months behind and awaiting the warmth of summer, the next few months provide the ideal opportunity to review and evaluate your current energy usage. Looking for ways to cut your energy costs and identify areas of your business that require improvement.   The importance of understanding your current energy consumption Staying in the know and being on top of your business energy bills provides you with greater insight into what you are paying and why. Leaving the high consuming energy periods of autumn and winter in the past, you should take a look over your most recent energy bills and assess where and when you have spent the most money and why. Perhaps there was a peak in your energy consumption during a particular month or you have debt with your supplier that you will now need to settle.   Tips on how to conduct an energy audit for your business One of the best ways to understand how your business uses energy is to conduct an energy audit. We recently wrote an article explaining in detail what an energy audit is and the best way to conduct one. This article can be found here. However here are some simple tips on conducting an energy audit for your business:   Understand Your Energy Bills Assess Building Systems and Equipment Use Energy Monitoring Tools Conduct a Building Envelope Assessment Review Operating Schedules   Highlighting the benefits of identifying areas for improvement Finding areas of your business that are consuming high levels of energy or require improvements offers you the perfect place to start to ensure your business is ready for the summer months and is adhering to your new energy audit recommendations by the time winter inevitably arrives once more. This first step is the perfect stepping stone to provide you with the information you need to ensure your business is running efficiently and saving on energy costs this summer.   Upgrade to energy-efficient equipment For those areas of improvements highlighted in your business energy audit, you should consider upgrading your equipment, machinery and business tools to energy efficient alternatives where possible. While this may be a big investment for your business, there is support available from the UK government and tax incentives that may make such changes to your business more affordable. We suggest that you search the GOV.UK site for more information about schemes, relief and taxes for the support of businesses going green. An area to focus on during summer in particular would be your HVAC system. Providing cool air in summer and during warm days, the HVAC system should be well maintained and monitored to ensure it is running smoothly and is not consuming excessive amounts of energy.   Implement smart energy management practices Much like the winter months it’s just as important to implement and encourage proper smart energy management practices within your business. From the top to the bottom, every member of your team should be aware of the business’ goals for cutting carbon emissions and the areas in which they should be applying energy efficient practices. From keeping the working environment at a consistent temperature, especially on hot summer days, to turning off lights and reducing the use of energy draining equipment. Those in charge of the maintenance of equipment should certainly have particular systems serviced before summer. Including air conditioning units, refrigeration systems and water pumps.   Harness renewable energy sources Summer may be the perfect time for you to switch to renewable energy sources. Allowing you time to adjust to this change and cover the cost of any investment before winter rolls around. From solar panels to accessing wind energy and geothermal systems, there’s several options for a variety of businesses in different industries. Offering excellent cost savings and the chance to improve the energy efficiency of your business. Plus, such a decision may allow you access to relief from certain green taxes implemented by the government.   At D-ENERGi we supply all our electricity via D-ENERGi Trading from UK based wind farms. Supplying 100% renewable electricity to our business energy customers. Also supplying the best and competitive price for business electricity, with tailored solution that suits your business needs. Making us unique within the business energy sector and a perfect alternative to the big energy suppliers in the UK. Find out more about switching today with a free quote from us or contact us on 0800 781 7626.

While Jeremy Hunt did not mention the EBDS Scheme in his Spring Budget announcement, it is confirmed that the support scheme ends 31st March 2024. For small businesses utilising the support of the Energy Bill Discount Scheme may feel slightly left in the dark now, as no alternative or additional support has been mentioned by the government. So what now?   Costs of running a small business in 2024 Although there’s certainly mixed opinions regarding the scheme and the genuine support that it did or could offer SMEs, having little to no other options leaves many small businesses wondering about the future. Despite predictions for the energy market looking better for 2024, many small businesses will still be dealing with the financial fallout of the energy crisis and of course the other issue of the cost of living crisis. Ensuring staff are paid enough to cover their own bills, business rents increasing and difficulties in a variety of sectors, there will continue to be concern about finances and staying afloat for small business owners in 2024.   A desire for tailored support for small businesses While there is not a single scheme or support programme set to succeed the EBDS Scheme as of yet, there’s some discussions surrounding what SMEs truly desire from the government. Research done within the industry has highlighted that small business owners wish for the government to acknowledge their want for energy support that is tailored to their unique needs, rather than schemes that many do not deem to be adequate. Microbusinesses especially, have called for bespoke assistance from the government for those that have been most affected by rising energy prices. And many are calling for regular winter support to be introduced, making sure that each year businesses are thoroughly supported financially to survive the often challenging months of winter and the extra costs the cold weather presents businesses.   What can small businesses do now? However, since there is yet to be any response or correspondence from the government regarding these concerns and desires, here are some examples of support you can currently access and will be able to access beyond the end of the EBDS Scheme. The best method of support if you can not afford to pay your current energy bill is to contact your business energy supplier and negotiate a payment arrangement that works for your business and them. At D-ENERGi our team of customer service representatives are on hand to offer the best possible advice and guidance for all our business customers. Alternatively support from Citizens Advice and Ofgem may help if you are struggling with what to do next. From understanding how to switch business energy suppliers to knowing if you are overpaying for electricity, these organisations offer some of the best advice for businesses.   Cutting your energy consumption And while we await the government’s offers of more assistance through a new scheme or financial plan, you can also make a difference by actively reducing your energy usage to maximise your savings. From better energy management practices to improving your energy efficiency, there are many small steps you can take for a positive impact on your business. Our blog explores a wide range of these topics. Including the best advice for businesses wanting to cut energy costs and how to cut your energy consumption.   To conclude: While we remain hopeful that the government will continue to offer support for small businesses with their energy, we understand that from the latest budget, much more focus is being placed on inflation. Meaning less attention may be given to the energy market over the next year. Using our advice, we suggest that all small businesses worried about the end of their government-backed support to reach out for more information from our customer support teams. We can discuss next steps and future payments, helping to ensure you are on the right tariff and are able to pay your energy bills.

Tracking your business energy usage offers numerous advantages that can greatly benefit your operations. It helps you understand how much energy your business consumes over a period of time, understand your energy bills, identify potential areas of inefficiency, and explore opportunities to reduce your energy costs. Tracking your energy usage doesn’t have to be complicated or confusing. It can be a straightforward process.   Understanding what your energy bills mean One of the ways you can understand how much energy you use in your business is to gain a better understanding of your energy bills. Whether these fall through the post box or ping as an alert on your phone, energy bills are easy to access and can quickly be explained. There are several pieces of information provided on a typical energy bill. This includes how much money you owe your energy supplier but also details of how much energy you have used over a period of time. Typically this will be over the past 3 months (if sent quarterly). However, some business energy suppliers can provide more regular bills, if necessary. Your usage will be explained using the meter readings or estimated meter readings your business energy supplier has access to. Providing regular meter readings will ensure your bill is precise and accurate, guaranteeing you are only paying for your actual energy usage. Understanding your usage from your energy bills will help you better acknowledge just how much your usage influences the prices you pay for electricity and gas. More on how to read an energy bill can be found here.   Tracking your energy usage with a smart meter Another method for tracking your usage is to install a smart meter for your business. Providing real-time details of your usage, giving you insight into how each running appliance or electrical good impacts your consumption is incredibly useful. Opting to have a smart meter installed allows you to pay much closer attention to your energy consumption and see just how much this is going to cost you. Plus, information from your smart meter will be supplied directly to your business energy supplier, making it easier to keep meter readings as accurate as possible.   Reduce your energy costs Keeping track of your business energy usage is one of the most effective ways to manage the costs of your energy. Having a greater understanding of how much energy your business uses, gives insight into what is costing you the most and allows you to make proactive decisions in order to lower your energy consumption. Which, in turn, will help to reduce your energy bills.   Improve your sustainability Tracking your business energy usage is the first step to improving your sustainability. By understanding where and how your energy is being used, you can identify areas where you can make changes to reduce your consumption. Which, as we mentioned above, can lead to lower energy bills, but also a smaller carbon footprint, and a more sustainable business overall. You can promote the amount of energy saved to boost your brand.   Struggling to understand your energy usage? If you are struggling to understand your business energy usage and need assistance in understand your energy bills, do not hesitate to get in touch with our friendly energy expert. We can decipher your energy bill for you, explain your energy consumption, implement cost-efficient practices that can help reduce your energy usage, and provide advice on how to lower your energy bills. To get started, simply reach out to us today. Our business energy quote only requires you to provide a few details about your business, we will promptly provide you a tailored quote that suits your business needs.