Energy and education go hand in hand. One of the largest expenses in running schools and nurseries is energy. This makes an effective energy conservation plan essential for all learning environments.    Between kitchens, digital learning resources and general operations (keeping the lights on), there are a lot of drains on the energy supply of a school (even when compared with other commercial industries). This blog will offer some energy saving ideas for schools, so you can help your establishment balance the budget and keep education alive!   Optimise lighting Lighting, like anywhere else, is one of the most significant energy-related costs of running a school. Here are effective strategies for reducing lighting expenses:    Layout classrooms to take advantage of natural light Keep windows and skylights clean Switch off lights when rooms are empty or the sun is bright (encourage students to monitor this)  Install occupancy sensors or timers to automatically turn off when areas are unoccupied  Upgrade to more energy efficient lighting installations (LEDs)   These tips can all help to reduce the burden of lighting on the overall lighting bill.    Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) tips Schools, while not subject to their own specific temperature laws, do have to operate to the same standard as other workplaces, maintaining temperatures of at least 16°C” (60°F) and recommended to be 18ºC (64.4ºF). Children need to be comfortable to learn properly, however, this can be a significant cost. Tips for minimising HVAC bills can include:    Maintaining temperatures as close to reasonable as possible, not higher or lower unnecessarily Install thermostats and enforce the maintenance of set figures Ventilate classrooms properly Maintain the quality of HVAC systems with clean and replaced filters Seal any air leaks or draughts promptly Invest in proper insulation   These solutions might all cost some money initially, but they’ll conserve energy for education in the long term.    Appliances and equipment optimisation There are countless appliances and items of equipment in the average educational institution. Energy conservation can seem impossible when you have to maintain a full working kitchen, staffroom refrigerators, electric interactive whiteboards, dishwashers, washing machines. However, some mindful choices can make a difference, like:     Buying energy-efficient appliances and monitoring performance consistently Turn off computers and other equipment when not in use Unplug any chargers and power cables when they’re not in use Lower the water temperature of boilers and other water-heating devices   Being conscious of your equipment is a pillar in energy saving tools.    General energy conservation strategies for schools Along with these more specific concepts, there are some very general concepts that every school manager should consider.  Finding the cheapest business gas supplier: Research and switch to cost-effective energy providers. Get a free, no-obligation energy quote from our experts.  Conduct energy audits: Schedule regular energy audit for schools to identify further savings opportunities.  Educate students and staff on sustainability: This will all help contribute to long-term energy savings at your school.  Visit our blog today for more insights into the energy landscape of the 21st century!

Running a larger business means spinning a lot of plates, many of which require energy expenditure. As your facilities grow and you hire more staff, you’re going to have to keep more lights on, operate more desktops, run larger HVAC systems and so much more. Large business energy consumption is always going to be harder to reduce energy costs.    Small businesses can also struggle with this, but keeping things moving in large businesses’ operations naturally takes more effort and consideration. This blog will offer advice on business energy conservation, even if you’re running a more substantial operation.    Conduct energy audits and data analysis If you’re operating in the realm of high-energy consumption businesses like manufacturing , the public administration or printing, among others, tools enacting detailed energy audits is always a smart move. This will break down the energy inefficiency across a business’s operations. Similarly, other tools like Energy Monitoring Systems (EMS) can provide consumption data at a granular level.    Analysing usage data and comparing it to KPIs is essential for larger businesses, as things can easily get lost in translation without careful analysis. Bringing in smart meters, IoT equipment and using an energy consumption calculator is a great way to set up better data collection.    Effective strategies to reduce energy consumption Businesses of any size should consider optimising their physical workplace to reduce energy consumption, whether working across sites or in one place. Some of the typical building upgrades that can make a difference to your consumption levels include:    Smart HVAC controls: Regular system maintenance, along with locational zoning to ensure proper heating and cooling situationally Proper ventilation wherever possible LED lighting: Upgrading lighting to LED systems, installing occupancy sensor and adding daylight harvesting systems Improving the building envelope: Improve insulation, sealed air leaks and more energy-efficient windows and doors Installing reflective cool roofing: This reduces solar heat absorption   Insulation and lighting are the most controllable and impactful things about your building in terms of energy expenditure. Some of these things might require a significant initial investment, but they’ll all save you money in the long run.    Create an energy-efficient culture of accountability   To effectively manage large business energy consumption, create a clear, standardised culture of accountability and energy management. This means creating dedicated positions for energy mindfulness in every department of the business and properly educating employees about consumption at all levels of the operation.    Make sure that the company is clued up about:    Energy-efficient equipment purchasing Regular appliance and equipment maintenance Turning off and unplugging idle equipment Analysing production lines and optimising manufacturing (when relevant) Any overarching sustainability initiatives   Make responsible consumption part of your company culture to keep all the moving parts accountable.    Embracing renewable energy   Switching your business electricity providers to embrace renewable energy can be a great way to reduce energy consumption in large businesses. Lowering consumption could be as simple as finding a provider that offers alternative fuel sources, as they are, by nature, better for the environment and generally less tough on the wallet.    Conclusion Reducing energy consumption in large businesses is a multifaceted approach that involves energy audits, energy-efficient upgrades, cultural change and renewable energy adoption. For more insights into energy efficiency and sustainability, visit our blog today.  If you’re ready to find the right energy supplier to help reduce your energy bills, get a free, no-obligation quote, visit our get a quote page.

A half-hourly meter is essential for any UK business with peak loads of more than 100,000 kWh a year. Generally, half-hour electricity tariffs are intended to make readings more accurate for businesses, automatically recording energy consumption every half hour. This eliminates both the task and potential for error that come with regular manual readings.    This blog was put together to demystify the nature of half-hourly electricity suppliers and meter readings, so you can get a better understanding of what these readings might tangibly mean for your business during the Energy Crisis and beyond.   Are half-hourly meter readings more expensive? In short, no. Half-hourly electricity tariffs do not intrinsically increase energy supply costs – this is a major oversimplification of the system. The reality is that costs can be increased and decreased across multiple data points.    Increased costs 1. Standing charges The half-hourly meter standing charge is going to be a new cost for businesses that have recently had the meter installed. Half-hourly meters have a higher degree of technological infrastructure and data processing power, resulting in higher standing charges compared to traditional smart meters.    2. Capacity charges This is something that isn’t necessarily caused by a half-hourly meter – rather a result that comes alongside its arrival at the workplace. Once you consume enough energy to necessitate one of these meters, you’ll likely have to pay a fee to your Distribution Network Operator (DNO). This fee ensures you can consistently meet demand based on your Maximum Import Capacity.   3. Operating costs Operating a half-hourly meter involves additional expenses. Installation, maintenance and data transmission services contribute to the overall cost.     Decreased costs  1. Better unit rates Businesses utilising half-hourly meters often benefit from lower costs per kWh. Larger businesses typically receive better rates, leading to significant savings.   2. Accurate billing The increased accuracy from half-hourly meters provides precise usage data, meant to eliminate estimated bills, which can often be inflated. Even if your energy supplier provides fixed wholesale rates, the accuracy of your half-hourly meter should make these rates closer to reality, and easier to manage in the long term.    3. Tariff flexibility Using a half-hourly system can allow businesses to utilise alternative, complex or more specific tariff structures. For example, there might be off-peak hour options, which could save them significant amounts of money.    Embracing Half-Hourly Meters All in all, half-hourly meters are generally associated with businesses that will be spending more on energy in general. Yes, there are a few additional costs. However, the increased accuracy of data collection should in turn result in better energy management – at the very least, creating a more realistic picture of bills and tariffs. It’s not necessarily going to raise or lower your costs – it’s going to create a newer, transparent structure within them.  For more insights into business energy supply, half-hourly meters and more, don’t hesitate to visit our website today. Ready to make the switch to a half-hourly electricity tariff? Contact our experts for a quick quote!

Managing a multi-site energy supply is challenging, especially considering the energy needs of multiple workplace locations. The fact of the matter is that you can’t be in two places at once, meaning there’s a lot to organise to ensure things run smoothly, whatever location you happen to be at. Establishing a good multi-site business energy infrastructure is essential for maintaining operational efficiency and keeping all sites within budget for large businesses.   This blog offers insights into finding the best business gas suppliers and electricity suppliers for your  multi-site business. Discover strategies to optimise your energy management and ensure every location operates efficiently and cost-effectively.   Embracing and monitoring data & technology for multi-site energy management  Making some Internet of Things (IoT) integrations is an effective strategy for managing multi-site business energy. Digitally connected devices like smart meters and building management systems can be integrated into a centralised data platform, offering valuable insights into consumption and usage. Then, figure out a way to analyse the data and generate regular performance reports, highlighting things like peak usage times, areas for improvement and potential savings opportunities.    To enhance your energy management strategy further, you can integrate some sort of AI-optimised energy management software. This can help you by automating data collection, reporting and analysis, saving time and increasing accuracy in your energy management processes.   Multi-site energy contract management techniques Getting a competitive business electricity quote can be hard enough for one workplace, especially for multiple locations. That’s why you need to make an effort with multi-site energy contract management, following steps like:    Consolidating multi-site energy contracts to leverage bulk purchasing power and get a better rate for each supply Aligning contract renewal dates across sites to simplify management Keeping energy market trends (like the Energy Crisis), risk management and sustainability options in mind when going for multi-site energy contracts Reviewing business energy contracts regularly to ensure that your rates and quotes are aligned across site   Being mindful of your contracts is an essential part of confidently managing your energy across multiple sites/workplaces.    Standardisation across sites Multiple sites need to be standardised and consistent in terms of their baseline equipment. This will make it a lot easier to keep consumption rates consistent, even if the sites are different in size or even operation. For example, if one site is focused on manufacturing and another is an office, you can keep things like lighting and HVAC systems consistent.   This approach can also be applied to the integration of energy-saving practices and policies, covering everything from basic light switch procedures to regular energy audits.     Clear communication across teams You might be fairly confident in your workplace culture and trust your teams, but you can’t be sure of absolute consistency if you don’t have clear channels of communication in place. Keeping the dialogue open is essential if you want to maintain a culture of energy-efficiency as a multi-site manager.    Finding the right energy supplier Finding the best business energy supplier is the best way for effective multi-site energy management. Choosing an energy supplier will define your success as a manager. You should seek out a business that’s mindful of customer service and capable of offering consistent energy supplies to multiple sites, along with offering a collaborative approach to contracts.   Are you looking for energy solutions for your multi-site business D-Energi is a great choice for multi-site business energy, contact our friendly experts today. Find out more about optimising your business energy supply with our blog or get your free quote today.