How can businesses power through the energy crisis without making working from home a necessity?

Britain is bracing for a tough winter ahead with soaring energy prices set to hit almost £4,000. The energy crisis is already eating into a majority of businesses’ profit margins, with SMEs across the country facing an average bill increase of over 250% in the last year alone, according to Cornwall Insight. This may force many employers to force their staff to work from home to save on energy costs in office. A report from Smart Energy Group GB found that 30% of small businesses are considering major savings by asking employees to work from home while they navigate the soaring costs. Firms will continue to face a tsunami of cost hikes in the next few years, and a new study from eEnergy has revealed that 83% of business leaders have either had or were considering making redundancies or reducing staff hours to cope with the spiralling prices. Britain’s leading sustainability experts, SaveMoneyCutCarbon, explain that shopping around and switching tariffs to reduce energy bills has become obsolete. Long-term solutions through green upgrades are the best way to ensure energy security, and could reduce your bill by around £1,878, according to WWF & Scottish Power.

The British Chambers of Commerce project that less than half (43%) of UK firms are expecting profitability in the next 12 months, whilst 1-in-4 hospitality and leisure businesses fear closing this year due to the inability to afford energy costs, according to eEnergy. In the wake of this setback, a new study from SaveMoneyCutCarbon has found that over half (51%) of employers in the UK still don’t know where or how to start reducing their carbon emissions. This is supported by research from Ecologi, which found that 42% of SME owners in the UK believe that it’s important to be sustainable, but struggle because of a lack of guidance.

In a pivotal moment for businesses across the nation, the experts at SaveMoneyCutCarbon have compiled a list of ESG strategies including the top green upgrades that could stem the tide of rising costs for businesses, all from within the workplace – working to keep staff.

LED Lighting:
Converting to LED lighting is simply the most efficient and best light-quality solution for the office, and could help save up to 90% on energy as well as reduce your maintenance costs. It provides flicker free, natural lighting that has flexible controls with motion sensing and daylight dimming.

Infrared Panel Heaters:
Infrared panel heaters are maintenance-free and simple to install – and up to 60% more energy efficient than conventional convection heating. No plumbing is needed – just a power source – and they can even be fitted in the bathroom and other damp environments.

Smart Plugs:
With a Smart Plug, it is possible to regulate when your electricity is running and which areas use it most. You can set routines for your electronics to turn on only when they’re needed, and some even turn your devices off and on depending on whether you’re in the office or not. You can adjust the timings so it is only on for specific time periods – and is all controllable through your smartphone, or with your voice.

Eco Hand Dryers:
Replacing paper towels with eco hand dryers in the bathroom is an effective way to save thousands on what is normally spent in purchase, cleaning, maintenance and disposal. Paper towels are rarely recycled so replacing them could cut carbon emissions by up to 79%.

Electronic Basin Taps:
Currently, 4% of the UK’s energy usage is used pumping and processing water used every day across businesses. Electronic Basin Taps can reduce water consumption by up to 70%. They have a temperate control sensor that detects hand movement, so water only runs when it’s needed.