There’s much to love about being an energy-efficient business. Both customers and employees are more attracted to eco-friendly businesses, which helps show that you’re a business of the future, and it can even help to improve your business’s bottom line. Lowering your energy bills frees up capital that you can then invest in other areas that can help to drive business growth.

The problem? Wanting to be energy efficient and actually being so are two different things. Many businesses hit a dead end after they’ve made the obvious eco-friendly upgrades, such as going paperless or switching to eco-friendly lightbulbs. 

But there are plenty of other ways to enhance your business’s eco credentials, many of which are often overlooked but can be just as — if not more — impactful than the obvious improvements. Below, we’ll take a look at a few effective eco-friendly improvement strategies that can help kickstart your transition towards being a greener company. 

Look After Your Equipment

It’s not just your equipment’s outcome that matters. How much energy it uses to achieve those results does too. It’s easy to believe that, so long as the equipment is in good working condition, then everything is fine. But if the machine is having to work overtime to produce the same results because of poor maintenance, then it’ll be using more energy than it should — and unnecessarily so. Adhering to the equipment’s maintenance schedule is an effective way to ensure that everything’s working just as it should under the hood. This approach also helps to reduce downtime, as a well-cared-for machine is much less likely to unexpectedly break down.

Upgrade Your HVAC System

Ensuring your workplace has an agreeable temperature is vital for keeping worker productivity levels high and/or providing a pleasant customer experience. No one works well when they’re too warm or too hot. Having a good HVAC system is essentially non-negotiable. 

But it’s also important to keep those costs down. In some cases, HVAC systems account for some 40-50% of a commercial building’s energy consumption. Upgrading that system, or at least ensuring it’s regularly serviced/maintained, can help to keep costs down without sacrificing performance. 

Draught Proof the Building

It’s one thing to have an HVAC system pump cold/warm air into your workplace. It’s another to ensure that the air stays there. People go to great lengths to insulate their homes, but don’t always take the same precautions when it comes to their businesses. Well-sealed doors/windows and even seemingly small details, like adding a custom letter box seal, can help prevent draughts from entering your workplace. It’s also recommended to periodically check for any cracks or gaps that might allow air to escape.  

Build It Into Your Culture

Finally, remember that improving your business’s energy efficiency credentials shouldn’t be a one-time thing. It’s an ongoing process, and you’ll be much more likely to make those improvements if energy efficiency is an organisational priority. By educating your staff and keeping up to date with new energy initiatives, you should find that you steadily make improvements that have a real impact.