From fridges and kettles to computers and printers, your business probably uses a wide variety of appliances on a daily basis. When you want to compare energy prices is it important to know which of these electrical appliances are the biggest drain on your electricity costs. So, let’s take a look at how D-ENERGi can help you bring your business electricity prices down – and improve your green credentials in the process. Calculating the electric consumption of appliances The simplest way to check how much electricity an appliance consumes is to look at its power rating – a label stating the number of watts (W) or kilowatts (kW) can usually be found on the back or base. This number gives you the average electrical consumption of the item when it is in use, but to find out how much it will cost to run you need to know your business electricity rates per kWh. A kWh is a unit of electrical energy equivalent to the power consumption of 1000 W per hour. So, if your business electricity rate per kWh is 12p and you run a 50W laptop for 8 hours it will cost you (50/1000) x 12 x 8 which is 4.8p a day. Typical electrical appliances that use the most energy Of course, the appliances that use the most energy in your workplace will depend on the type of equipment you use and how you use it, but the most common energy users include: Air Conditioners – 4000W Desktop Computers – 100W Fridges – 80W Laptops – 50W Lightbulbs – 60W Photocopiers – 70W (when on standby) Printers – 60W (when on standby) Servers – 1000W   Does leaving electrical appliances plugged in use electricity? It is important for business owners to realise that it isn’t a myth, many appliances will continue to consume electricity when they are left in standby mode. For example, if one member of staff leaves their laptop plugged in, even when it is fully charged, this could use around 4.5kW per week or 234 kWh a year – which can push your electricity bill right up. For this reason, it is really important to remind employees to switch off their appliances at the main when they have finished using them – if possible. You could invest in some power strips for them so that they can turn everything off in one go – make it easy for them. Easy ways to save electricity in the workplace There are lots of simple things you and your employees can do to save electricity in the workplace including: Turning off appliances when not in use Switch from traditional light bulbs to LED’s Upgrade to an intelligent hair conditioning, heating, and ventilation system Switch to more efficient technology when replacing items   One of the best ways to save on your business energy bills, however, is to let the D-ENERGi team compare your business energy prices per kWh rates to make sure you are on the best deal for you.

It is a good idea for all businesses to keep an eye on their business energy suppliers and the rates they are charging to make sure you are getting access to the best deal possible. Completing a business energy comparison is therefore a time investment that will definitely pay you back – as many businesses the D-ENERGi team works with have reported considerable savings when they switch suppliers. When you are looking at a business electricity or business gas comparison, however, it is prudent to keep a few things in mind: #Always read the small print It is essential you take the time to read every aspect of your commercial energy contract before you sign it as some contracts contain a specific window in which you are allowed to cancel or switch the contract without penalty. You probably won’t ever be refused the opportunity to be let out of your contract if you do choose to switch business energy suppliers outside of this window – but you will potentially be liable for quite large costs, so you should think about your timing carefully. #Be sure of your expectations A lot of businesses state that their number one reason for switching business energy suppliers is to save money, which they do, to begin with only to find that their bills go up over time despite their energy usage not increasing. Don’t ever take it as certain that you are guaranteed to save money throughout the length of your new business energy contract. Look at your energy usage and what you are paying for it at the start of your contract, and monitor it throughout the length of your contract so that you can be sure you are really saving the money you thought you would. #Be patient Don’t just plump for the first deal you are offered – take some time to consider it carefully. Remember, you are the one who is in control, so you should only move business energy suppliers when you are ready. Get in contact with the D-ENERGi team, tell us your current circumstances and what you are looking for, and then leave the rest to us. We will contact the suppliers on your behalf and come back to you with some options – leaving you to decide which energy contract is the right one for you and your business. If you want to complete a thorough business gas and business electricity comparison, then get in touch with the D-ENERGI team. We just need a couple of minutes of your time, and we can potentially save you money on your business energy bills.

Climate change and sustainability are high on the agenda in 2022, which means more and more businesses are going to be held to account – and this will have an effect on your business energy quote too. Here is the D-ENERGi team’s round-up of the changes businesses can expect to see this year in regards to carbon and energy reporting. Changes to the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) cap The UK’s ETS was launched in 2021 as a replacement for the EU ETS which the UK left when it left the EU. The ETS places a cost against carbon pollution in order to encourage polluters to reduce the amount of their emitted greenhouse gases. ESOS to potentially be extended to medium-sized companies The UK government recently announced it would be shaking up the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) in a bid to increase the uptake of energy efficiency measures and improve the quality of audits. It is also aiming for businesses to include an assessment of actions needed for them to achieve net-zero by 2050 as a recommendation. Mandatory TCFD for large companies from 6th of April 2022 Recommendations from the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) means that over 1300 of the UK’s largest companies and financial institutions will have to start disclosing their climate-related financial information from the 6th of April. Performance-based energy ratings for larger buildings to come into force The UK government is currently consulting on the use of a framework for the rating of carbon and energy performance of commercial buildings, which if passed means that if you own or are the sole tenant of a large building you may be required to rate the energy performance of the building as it is in-use. Widening of scope of the SECR Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) originally became law in 2019, but the UK government is considering widening its scope in order to drive greater climate change action ahead of the target date for Net Zero carbon. There is some indication that one change they may implement concerns reporting on the scope of emissions. At the moment, SECR focuses solely on Scope 1 and 2 emissions – which may affect your business electricity quote – but some businesses are choosing to report on their Scope 3 emissions voluntarily too. It is likely that Scope 3 emission reporting will become mandatory in the future as the associated emissions make up the bulk of emissions from most large companies. Here at D-ENERGi we aim to provide a real alternative to the big five energy suppliers, by offering the most competitive business electricity and business gas quotes in the UK.