4 Simple Steps to Controlling Energy Costs and Cutting Carbon

6th April 2022

Energy Partner Professional Energy Purchasing has compiled some simple steps to help members manage spiralling energy costs and reduce carbon emissions.

With companies wasting around 20 of the energy they use and energy prices continuing to rise, there’s never been a better time to review and rethink your business energy.

The government’s ambition to reach a Net Zero future is also driving companies to reduce energy and if you want to supply a government contract (over £5m) you must now show that you have a Net Zero plan in place. 

But where do you start?
We’ve compiled these simple steps to help you rethink your energy plans.

Step 1 - Make sure you are on the right contract 
That means buying at the right time and making sure the contract you are on is right for your business, not because you’ve always bought that way.  Having fixed rate contracts for a long period of time might mean fixing in when the market is high, whereas flexible rates take advantage of price dips.
Also if you don’t have a contract in place, variable rates tend to be notoriously higher. 
You can read more about it here or our team would be happy to talk you through the various options available.

Step 2 - Make sure you are only paying for what you need
The energy market is introducing a new banding system to charge companies based on allocated usage. So you could be using less power than you have allocated to you without knowing it but are still paying the higher banding charge.
Our team always review annual usage as part of our procurement service to make sure clients don’t get caught out with unnecessary costs. We recently saved Coster Group over £58,000 a year on their bills when we found a similar discrepancy. 

Step 3 - Make sure you are only using what you need
How much difference would a 20 reduction in energy bills make to your business? 
We find that energy waste is often caused through out-dated systems and lighting, inefficient boilers and buildings, leaky compressor units and poor employee behaviour. Our energy audits help you to understand the steps you need to take to become more efficient, highlighting the savings you can make, and any investment needed to get there. 

They’ll also identify any carbon emission savings you’ll make.  

We recently found annual savings of 33 on energy consumption and 13 tonnes of carbon emissions for a workwear provider following an energy audit of their premises. 

Contact us to find out more about an energy audit for your business here.

Step 4 - Reduce your reliance on the energy market
Relying less on traditional power sources and the systems that use them will protect you from the fluctuations in prices that we’ve seen over the last year. One of our energy audits will identify opportunities for renewable energy sources, payback periods for the investment needed, and carbon emission savings you’ll make each year. We can also project manage the implementation to minimise any disruption to the daily running of your business.

The investment will also count towards your Net Zero targets. And if you haven’t got a Net Zero plan in place, we can help you develop one of those too.

A solar panel investment made by our client at West Special Fasteners will reduce their bills and their carbon footprint by 22 tonnes of CO2 each year.

Get in touch
Get in touch for a free, no-obligation energy consultation and see how we can help you rethink your energy plans.
T: 0114 327 2645    E: info@pepgb.com
www.pepgb.com