At D-ENERGi we work hard to provide all our business customers with the best business energy prices. We work closely with many care homes and residential homes across the UK, to keep them warm, dry, and well-lit while offering the best rates for business energy.  Throughout the upcoming winter season, care homes will be paying close attention to energy consumption, ensuring that while residents are cared for, bills are not too high. In this latest blog we will offer our best advice to any business customers looking to save on business energy.  Take control of your business energy with a smart meter  Smart meters are not just for domestic energy customers. Business energy meters are now available for businesses across the country to take full control of their business energy. Helping to manage usage and lower prices. Not only will you be able to track your usage, but the data a smart meter for businesses provides will be automatically sent to your energy supplier, so you can be sure your bills are as accurate as can be. How to monitor your business energy consumption? If you are concerned you may be using more energy than the average company in your care home, it may be time to consider installing a business energy smart meter.  As previously mentioned, a business energy smart meter will help you monitor your energy usage, reviewing your consumption, giving you a chance to better manage your energy usage. You may also wish to speak with your energy supplier if you believe your bills are too high. It is advisable to read your bills thoroughly when you receive them to be sure the information provided is correct. If you do not understand how to read an energy bill this blog may help you. Ways to reduce your energy consumption  If you already have a smart meter installed in your care home and have noticed your energy consumption seems too high, here are some quick tips to help you better manage your energy consumption: Check the electrical appliances and the heating apparatus of your residential home to ensure these are working properly. Typically, newer appliances are far more economical.  Switch off electric equipment and tools when not in use. Although this may be difficult in a care home during winter, you may find there are many appliances that are regularly left running when not needed. This could include televisions, and radios.   Set a comfortable temperature on the thermostat and keep this regulated. Your residents will likely appreciate this also!  Create an energy saving culture amongst your employees. Encourage your care home staff to check thermostats regularly and switch off appliances between shifts. Why not speak to a member of our team for other top tips! For your free no obligation quote please call us on 0800 781 2700

On a mission to reduce the nation’s energy consumption, smart meters have been designed to provide accurate meter readings and a visual representation of real-time energy usage. They are the ideal solution for businesses and households hoping to get on top of their energy usage, manage this, and find solutions to reduce energy consumption.  The smart meter rollout  Starting in 2011, the smart meter rollout began. As of 2021, according to the most recent government statistics, in smaller, non-domestic sites (such as micro and small businesses) 145,900 smart and advanced meters were installed by all energy suppliers. This is a 48% increase on 2020, but is similar to figures last recorded in 2018 (pre-Covid).  As installations continue across the country, gas and electricity suppliers now have binding annual targets to achieve to ensure all their non-smart customers have smart and advanced meters installed by 2025.  Are people reluctant to install smart meters?  Although these figures are suggesting an uptake in smart meter installations, the majority of these meters are still yet to be installed.   This may be because there are several misconceptions surrounding the use of smart meters. A commonly asked question regarding these devices is whether or not they use more electricity.  Although it is true that your small device uses your electricity supply for power, the very small amount that it does use, does not counteract the benefits this device provides.  How do smart meters work? Smart meters work by measuring your gas and electricity usage and sharing this data directly with your energy supplier. This means no more electricity or gas meter readings. The smart meter does all this for you, sending accurate and regular readings to avoid estimated bills. A smart meter does not require internet access, instead they use the secure smart data network to share information about your usage. The system of which this works can be compared to how other wireless systems and devices use radio waves. Smart meters can be used in replacement of traditional meters, such as prepay meters.  Your smart meter comes in two parts; the smart meter and digital display. The smart meter will be fitted where your traditional meter is housed, while you can choose to place your digital display in an accessible place. This accompanying digital display will give you access to data about your electricity or gas usage. This will help you to manage your usage, with the intention of helping you cut back on usage and save money on energy bills.  Smart meters for small businesses  As small businesses feel the pinch of the rising cost of living, business owners are regularly seeking new tips and advice for saving money.  One way to do this is to pay closer attention to monthly bills and to find resources or techniques to reduce these costs, if possible. In a recent study by Smart Energy GB, 72% of small business owners have already made the switch to a smart meter or are considering doing so to manage their energy use at this difficult economic time.  It is simple to request a smart meter for your small business, if you haven’t done so already. As a D-ENERGi customer you have a choice of between two types of smart meters. These are an AMR meter or a SMETS2 meter. Both of which will offer similar benefits, although we do recommend referring to our handy table here, to familiarise yourself with these devices and to find the meter that is better suited to your requirements. For more information about smart meters for business, do not hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team.

1 – Energy efficient lighting will reduce your business electricity bills   One of the most important facts to consider about energy efficient lighting is that it helps businesses to save on lighting bills. By switching from traditional or halogen lighting in an office or other working space, businesses can save incredible amounts of energy. Here are just some of the best statistics: By switching a 75 watt incandescent light bulb to an LED light, companies could save up to £10 per bulb per year! LED bulbs use up to 90% less energy than an old halogen bulb Switching to energy efficient LED bulbs could help you lower your company’s carbon footprint   2 – LEDs are the most adaptable light fitting   LED light bulbs are the most adaptable type of energy efficient light fitting. They can be used in almost all settings and are the ideal solution for replacing traditional bulbs. LED light bulbs can be used for general lighting, outdoor lighting, spotlights, dimmable lights and in chandeliers. This also makes LEDs perfect for businesses in a wide range of industries requiring various levels of lighting in a number of environments. 3 – Companies can no longer produce halogen bulbs   Lighting manufacturers are actually no longer allowed to produce and sell halogen lights. This has helped to introduce the phase out of traditional inefficient lighting and instead encourage both companies and households to make the switch to energy efficient lighting like LEDs. Where you may find halogen bulbs is in places like ovens and security lights or in a store where old stock is being sold. 4 – Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) are most commonly used in offices   For large office spaces and warehouses, businesses can opt to use LFLs, these are modern strip lights that are capable of emitting a good amount of quality light. As opposed to traditional strip lights, which didn’t offer a good lifespan, LFLs are far more energy efficient and can help businesses save on their business electricity bills. 5 – Lighting accounts for around 20% of business energy consumption   Businesses may be shocked to discover that around 20% of their energy consumption comes from lighting. In order to keep usage low and costs down, now is the perfect time to reconsider the lighting solutions your business uses and switch to energy efficient lighting, either choosing LED lights or LFLs. For more on business electricity rates and how to save your business money, take a look at our D-ENERGi business electricity page or read up on some of our other blogs with tips to help you cut down on your business energy consumption!

As energy costs continue to rise and we head into the coldest months of the year, we know just how important it is for businesses to keep costs low whilst being able to heat and run their business this winter. Having control over your business’ energy consumption, paying close attention to your usage and keeping bills low, could help as we enter a difficult period of time economically. At D-ENERGi we are supporting businesses of all sizes, offering our advice to business energy customers in this time of much needed support. Here we have outlined some of our best advice for keeping energy consumption low in the business environment (particularly offices) throughout winter. Reduce heating temperatures by just 1℃ Many will be preparing themselves for a cold winter and believing that it will feel even colder with managers switching heating systems off completely to curb the energy costs. Interestingly, however, this does not need to be the case. In the vast majority of cases, simply dropping the heating by only 1℃ can cut consumption by 8%! So, you don’t have to bundle up in coats and scarves while sitting at your desk. Set timers to match your working hours Plenty of businesses are guilty of using energy they don’t actually require. So many offices leave lights on overnight and devices plugged in 24/7. One way to reduce your business’ energy consumption is to simply set timers on your lighting and electrical devices so these are only connected when the office is in action. Heating and lighting should all be automatically set to turn off at the end of the day, the same time everyday. For those who wish to work later into the day, you may wish to provide individuals with desk lamps to provide light to only where it is needed. Aim for a comfortable working temperature Although the outdoor temperature plummets into the winter months, there is no reason why the heating inside an office, particularly smaller offices, should exceed a comfortable temperature. In fact, the lowest comfortable working temperature is between 18–21℃ depending on the workplace. As mentioned above, dropping your thermostat down just a few degrees will cut energy consumption by a large amount. It is also important to note that warmth in offices doesn’t just come from the heating system but also the lights, the many people and other devices that are running continuously. Upgrade your lighting to LED lights A big expense for business energy customers is outdated lighting. If possible, and within budget, an upgrade to LED lights will help lower your energy costs. LED bulbs are far more energy efficient than standard incandescent bulbs and will last much longer. LED lights provide businesses low-maintenance, low cost lighting that does the job and is the more sustainable option! Consider installing a business smart meter A great way for businesses to keep on top of their business energy consumption, monitoring usage, is to install a business smart meter. At D-ENERGi we offer business smart meters to our customers, no matter what industry you are in. If you are an energy-conscious business, or simply seeking ways to save your business money, the benefits of a business energy smart meter should not be underestimated. To find out more, why not get in touch with us and arrange a business smart meter install today!