How to Combat High Energy Bills in Care Homes

The majority of people who regularly visit a friend or a loved one in a care home believe that their stay has improved their quality of life, new data has revealed. In a survey by personal injury specialist Ramsdens Solicitors, 62% of respondents said they believed the standard of care had helped to increase the occupant’s wellbeing. Furthermore, the majority of respondents believed standards to be of a “good” quality at the home they visited most frequently, while 60% thought staffing was adequate and 58% were satisfied with the cleanliness in the care home. “Our survey findings have contradicted growing media speculation pointing to serious shortfalls in the standard of care offered to individuals in care homes,” Anne Scott, a solicitor at the Yorkshire-based firm, said.  “There have been several high profile instances of mistreatment in in recent months, which could put some people off.  However, it is refreshing to see that the majority of people who have placed a family member in care had positive things to say about their experiences.” According to the data, a higher percentage of people who visit someone in a care home believed the staff show empathy towards residents (45%) than those who do not (35%).  People who do not frequently visit care homes were also more likely to film a staff member who they believed to be providing inadequate care, with 58% claiming they would, compared to just 40% of those who do visit saying the same. Interestingly, those individuals who regularly visit care homes were also more likely to be happy with the idea of sending a relative there, compared to more than half (60%) of non-visitors said they would not.

Care homes are some of the biggest energy consumers within the service industry. Providing round the clock care and residential assistance to live-in residents. The facilities required to run a care home must be in use at all times, making it difficult for management and staff to cut down on energy consumption and reduce their energy bills. However, despite the great need for several electrical appliances and equipment, there are ways that care facilities and residential homes can save energy. In this blog we will offer some energy-saving advice that are easily applied into the everyday running of a care home in order to improve energy efficiency.   Why it is important to save energy in the care homes The care sector is one that is often left under-funded by the government and will regularly rely on additional support from sponsors and charitable organisations and individuals to stay up and running. With energy costs being some of the biggest expenses that care homes must cover, attempting to reduce energy consumption is a good way to save money and put this extra money into the support and care of residents. Overall offering a better care service. Not only this but by cutting energy consumption, the care home can work towards achieving net zero emissions, helping the environment and working alongside the government towards their emissions reduction across the country.   How to save energy when running a care home  Although small changes can be made, such as turning off appliances that are not in use and encouraging positive energy efficient practices around the care home, in the long-term investment is necessary to improve the efficiency of the building. In many cases, care homes are run from within old and often dated buildings that will not have modern eco-friendly solutions installed. Below are some energy-saving advice these buildings, despite their age, can be modernised to improve energy efficiency and save money on their energy bills: Review the building’s insulation – proper building insulation is key to keeping a building energy efficient. Where an older building may have a lack of insulation, it is more than likely that heat is being lost and more energy is being used to maintain a regular temperature within the care home. Upgrade the lighting to LED lighting and consider motion-sensor lighting for less-frequented rooms. LED lighting is the most energy efficient and simply upgrading the current, outdated lights, to LEDs will have a significant impact on the cost of electricity. Motion-sensor lighting is another good way to cut down on the use of electricity, when not necessary. This is particularly great in care homes since elderly residents may forget to turn off their lights at night or when exiting a room. Ensure heat is not being lost through old windows. Double or even triple glazing will help in preventing any heat loss from windows, particularly in cold winter months. Not only is this important for energy consumption but in general for the comfort of residents.   Switching business energy suppliers to D-ENERGi to reduce energy bills  In order to keep energy costs down and invest money back into the care home, switching business energy suppliers may be the best solution. At D-ENERGi we support micro-businesses and small UK businesses with the best business energy rates. Switching business energy suppliers to D-ENERGi is easy and hassle-free. Our dedicated account managers will handle all the paperwork for you and will be with you every step of the way. Talk to our energy experts today to find out more about how much your business could save on your energy bills.