Member Article

Is ‘going green’ a suitable choice for businesses?

Changing your business to be more environmentally friendly has never been more fashionable - but it can seem like a lot of hassle. There are a lot of changes that you have to make and the costs involved can seem too high to make it worth it. However, when working with one of the reliable renewable energy companies in the UK, the cost of going green could actually be a lot lower than you might think, and, in the long run, the changes you make can actually end up saving you money.

What a waste

Businesses run on efficiency - it’s vital for success that everyone communicates with each other and that individual goals are the same as the collective ones. But this efficiency seems to go out of the window when it comes to energy waste management. Every year, individual businesses waste thousands of pounds on wasted energy, this racks up to millions in the industry as a whole. The really puzzling aspect of all this is that this haemorrhaging of energy and money could be plugged with some very simple changes.

Small Changes

The first step to starting a business on the right tracks to being energy efficient is with some simple to follow and easy to do lifestyle changes. Because these changes are small, it takes the whole workforce pulling together to ensure the changes add up to make a big difference. A business has to really influence its employees on how important these changes are.

The types of changes that can be made to help a business use energy more efficiently are things like having the lights turned off in the offices when no one is in them and turning computers off after use. Even everyone making sure that their computer screen is properly turned off rather than being on standby can, collectively, make a huge difference.

It is also important for a business to make sure that all of their electrical appliances are energy efficient; these include things like fridges, vending machines and, most importantly of all, light-bulbs. Companies could also make big savings by reducing energy costs when all its employees have gone home. A recent survey carried out by British Gas in the UK found that 46% of business electricity use happens outside of the traditional business hours of 8am-6pm. Things like turning off car-park lights outside of working hours can save a business a lot.

Big Changes

Once these small changes have been made a business will soon start to reap the rewards of its energy efficiency. However, it is still possible to make bigger savings by making bigger changes. It can seem daunting to make these big changes but in the long run the outlay will be made back and more.

As well as recouping money on the initial costs there are also tax incentives for energy efficient companies. One of the most cost efficient ways to become more energy efficient is to change to renewable energy systems. These are things like solar electric systems and water heaters, as well as using wind energy and geothermal energy.

And because good energy provides green energy, you’ll be rewarded for your good practices - businesses that use renewable energy qualify for certain tax breaks which can amount to a lot of money. Businesses who use renewable energy can also exempt these systems from their taxes entirely.

There are also tax incentives for businesses to use energy efficient systems. These include tax credits for businesses that use energy efficient boilers, heat pumps, insulation, fans, doors, windows and other housing materials. So while it may take a bit of extra effort, a business can certainly benefit from going green.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jonny Marshall .