Small businesses could cut their energy costs by as much as 20 per cent by making a few simple changes – that’s the claim of a new free energy and money saving guide from Powergen.

The 12-page guide offers tips and advice on how firms can slash their electricity and gas bills. It includes a step-by-step route to introducing an energy-friendly action plan, as well more detailed advice for businesses with specific energy uses such as refrigeration, space heating and compressed air systems.

A recent survey by Powergen found that more than half of the UK’s small businesses has never taken any steps to improve their energy efficiency, while 78 per cent don’t have a member of staff whose job it is to manage energy consumption.

Neil Gould, head of Powergen SME business, said: “Rarely do small businesses get a chance to save money, cut their wastage and help the environment all at the same time. Knowing where to start when it comes to reducing energy wastage can be difficult, but this new guide can help almost any business on the road to saving both energy and money.”

To help you make immediate savings on your energy bills, Powergen recommend the following top tips:

  • Ensure one person has responsibility for energy useage – and that they have the full support of the owner/manager.
  • Monitor energy consumption to see how effective energy saving measure have been.
  • Replace traditional tungsten light bulbs with energy saving compact fluorescent ones, reducing consumption by 80 per cent.
  • Using air conditioning in office may double your energy bills: the higher you set your air conditioning ‘switch-on’ temperature, the more you’ll save – so set the lower temperature to 24°C or higher.
  • Check to ensure any power saving modes on office equipment are switched on.
  • In commercial buildings, space heating is usually the biggest energy user. Draft proofing can be a cost-effective measure – use automatic doors and plastic strip curtains for heavy traffic areas.
  • In retail premises, lighting accounts for up to 60 per cent of energy costs. Using high pressure sodium lights for external use is fives times more efficient than using tungsten halogen lamps.
  • In food stores, refrigeration can account for half the total energy bill. Select cabinets with good insulation, easy-to-fit night blinds and plastic strip curtains.
  • In hotels and B&B’s, heating and cooling accounts for up to 70 per cent of energy bills. Turning down temperatures in empty rooms to 14°C will cut energy usage without risking damp or affecting guest comfort.
  • Although convenient and flexible, using compressed air to power industrial tools costs ten times more than using electricity to power them.

To get a copy of Powergen’s energy savings guide, call 08000 85 85 25