With renewable energy being an important topic, there’s much to learn for businesses and energy customers looking to improve their carbon footprint. As we become more aware of just how important it is to consider renewable energy options and make the switch from traditional fossil fuels for the sake of the planet, this guide to renewable energy terms will give you the foundations to understand everything you need to know about renewable energy and the industry. Below are some of the most important terms and phrases that are used when discussing renewable energy and what they mean. Perfect for if you want to make the switch to renewable energy for your business.    Renewable energy sources A good place to start. Renewable energy sources are the type of energy sources that are naturally restored. This includes wind, water, light from the sun and geothermal energy.    Carbon Neutral  Carbon neutral is a term used to describe achieving the balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon. One way in which to achieve carbon neutrality is to remove the use of fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy sources.    Carbon Offsetting Carbon offsetting is a process in which typically companies and organisations will help to reduce or remove carbon emissions from the atmosphere in order to compensate for their own emissions caused by their business operations and practices. This will often be done by buying carbon credits within carbon offsetting programs. When carbon offsetting is done correctly and ethically, these programs will work on sustainable development projects around the world in order to reduce emissions.   Fuel Mix  An energy supplier’s fuel mix details the ratio of energy sources used to generate electricity supplied to customers. This will show information about renewables, coal, gas, and nuclear, as well as any other source,  All energy suppliers have an obligation to provide details of their fuel mix. At D-ENERGi, you can view our fuel mix here.   Biomass  Biomass is a material used to generate bioenergy. It is sourced from recently living organisms, for example, energy crops, agriculture residues, wood chips, domestic and industrial waste.    Wind Energy  Wind energy is the type of renewable energy generated from wind power. Collected with wind turbines. Using a combination of the wind turbine propellers, a generator and the rotor, as the wind blows the turbine spins, which is then transferred to electricity using the generator.    Hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity is generated by hydropower – the movement of water. This type of renewable energy source makes up one of ⅙ of the world’s electricity.   Solar power Another type of renewable energy source is solar power. Solar power utilises the power of the sun to generate electricity. Solar panels are a popular way for both businesses and domestic homeowners to power their homes and buildings with solar power.    Net Zero Emissions Net zero emissions simply means achieving as close to zero carbon emissions as possible. The UK government has set goals and plans in place in order for the UK to achieve net zero emissions and carbon neutrality by 2050. This requires a lot of steps by individuals and businesses in order to change the way we currently use energy and source energy in order to cut our emissions.    Greenhouse Gases  Greenhouse gases which are also referred to as GHGs are naturally occurring gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, this includes carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and nitrous oxide.  These gases absorb and emit radiant energy, which results in the ‘greenhouse effect’ which many of us will be familiar with. The greenhouse effect explains how some of the sun’s heat is trapped on earth by these greenhouse gases.    Offshore Wind Plant  An offshore wind plant is a power plant that is located away from the land. The UK is establishing more of these offshore wind farms as a way to increase our generation of wind energy for the production of electricity. Offshore wind farms are most often mounted onto structures built for this exact purpose or fixed directly to the seabed.

As summer rolls around, temperatures heat up and offices become warmer than ever. Ensuring you create a comfortable and pleasant environment for your staff is incredibly important, not just for their wellbeing but also for productivity and desire to be in the office. Since air conditioning is now a standard in most offices, they can quickly become dependable for supplying a cold blast of air when outdoor temperatures soar. However, despite the want for this, running an air conditioning system consistently for months can be costly.  So, with warmer weather on the way, we thought it a good idea to delve into the energy consumption of air conditioning units and how best to use these in summer to save your business money. Helping you avoid high business energy costs.   How expensive are air conditioners to run?  Since there are a range of sizes and styles of air conditioners, the costs of running air conditioning will vary. However, some insights into this have indicated that this could be upwards of 43p an hour. Plus, with the current cost of energy, this could be even more.  Running this continuously throughout the working day could add almost £100 to your energy bill each month.   The optimal temperature for offices  While it may be incredibly warm outside and tempting to blast the office with cold air for several hours each day, the cost of this may be enough for businesses to reconsider.  But, how can you keep your office environment comfortable during such extreme summer heat?  Many of us will be all too familiar with the constant air conditioning debate at work. Turn it on or turn it off? Turn it up or turn it down? The truth is, it’s incredibly difficult to keep everyone happy. In fact different types of people prefer to be warm at work while others, cold. Plus, studies have shown that the temperature in working places does in fact impact productivity.  While there is currently no legal maximum temperature for working environments, however long over-due this may be, workplaces should ensure that the environment is ‘responsible’. Where temperatures do become unbearable, employers have a responsibility to offer staff regular breaks and a sufficient supply of free water. Some have suggested that keeping a constant and regulated temperature is the best solution, with many assuming the optimal working temperature to be somewhere between 22-24°C.   Avoiding big bills when using air conditioning Keeping your air conditioning on in summer whilst trying to manage your energy bills may seem like a task. Especially as teams fight over the temperature. With these tips, however, you can aim to keep your energy bills as low as possible, whilst still providing air conditioning to your employees.  Do not run the air conditioning system on an extremely low temperature  Turn off the air conditioning when it is not necessary  Make sure your AC unit is correctly installed Have the unit maintained and serviced regularly, especially before summer starts Ensure the room you are cooling isn’t subject to a large amount of direct sunlight as this will produce more work for the AC unit.   To keep a closer eye on your energy consumption and to monitor how different appliances may be affecting your energy bills, consider a business smart meter. For more information about this and the roll out scheme, do not hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team.

Technology and electronic devices now make up a huge part of many businesses’ assets. Helping to automate business processes and speed up what previously may have been repetitive and time-consuming tasks.  As the mainstream use of computers first hit the office floors in the 1980s, we’ve actually spent over three decades using technology in businesses and workplaces. Despite the advances we have made over these decades and the incredible benefits modern technology offers, many businesses still continue to utilise technology from way back when. Not only is this a hindrance to the business but can also be costly for both the business and the environment.   How outdated technology could be costing your business in energy  High energy bills may be a sign that the technology, devices, and appliances used in your business premises may require an upgrade.  Older technology such as outdated computers are more likely to produce excess heat, requiring more energy from the CPU (central processing unit) to keep the hardware cool and running efficiently. Not only this but the overheating of such devices can lead to slower performances, resulting in more time required to finish and complete a work task. This not only means the computer needs to be operating for longer (using more energy), but your staff and teams must spend more working time completing one task, hindering the efficiency of your business. Newer computers and devices have been designed to be far more energy efficient. Helping to keep your business energy costs down and your business running much more efficiently.   The impact old gadgets have on the environment  Digitalisation around the globe has resulted in an increase of greenhouse gas emissions over the past few decades. As we know, these harmful greenhouse gases are responsible for global warming and contribute to climate change. Energy consumption from devices not only adds to the cost of business energy bills, but will therefore increase your company’s impact on the environment.  In studies conducted by several research groups, including those from Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, findings indicate that switching to newer technologies and modern devices will help to reduce energy consumption by almost half. Providing a productive and effective solution for not only cutting business costs, helping the environment, but also modernising your workplace and providing employees with technology that works in their favour.  To assess just how much energy your technology may be consuming, it could be a good time to upgrade to a business smart meter. With a consumer access device you will be able to see exactly how much your technology impacts your energy consumption and the costs of this in real-time.

As an energy customer you will find you will be asked for meter readings at several different points. Firstly, when you join a new energy supplier or move into a new premises, your energy supplier will ask for initial meter readings which will provide them with a starting point of which to estimate your bills. Over the course of a contract your energy supplier will ask again for several meter readings to ensure your bills are still accurate and up to date according to your usage. Over the past year, you may have heard more and more industry experts suggesting to submit meter readings on a regular basis. This has been suggested as a good way to keep your bills as accurate as possible and to ensure you are not paying for me than you use.  In this blog we will explain how meter readings work and the importance of them, specifically for business energy customers.    What do meter readings mean?  Meter readings are simply a way for your electricity and gas supplier to establish your energy usage. Meter readings are therefore an important element that makes up your energy bills, alongside current energy rates.  The figures supplied by your meters will change as you access electricity or gas within your building. So, when you use your lights, turn on your computers, switch on the heating or use appliances, your meter will advance as electricity or gas flows through. Electricity meters will show your usage in kilowatt-hours and will use a form of numerical display to show your current usage amount.  Each dial has ten numbers (0 – 9) and a pointer like a clock hand. The pointers advance when electricity flows through the meter, so the dials indicate the total number of kilowatt-hours (KWH) you have used. To determine your correct meter reading, simply read the dials in order from right to left.   How meter readings will affect your energy bills  Since your meter can determine when energy is being used, your meter readings will indicate how much has been used over a period of time. As you submit meter readings to your energy supplier, your bills will be adjusted accordingly. The more regular readings you take and supply your supplier, the easier it will be for them to charge you the most accurate amount for your business energy usage.   How to submit a meter reading for your business  At D-ENERGi we make it easy for you to submit your business meter readings online. Our meter reading form can be accessed via our website and allows you to input the details of your latest reading without delay. All we need is a few details including your business energy account number, the date of your reading, and account holder’s name.   Business smart meters  To make taking your meter readings as simple as possible, business energy customers and domestic energy customers are switching to smart meters. As part of the smart meter roll out suppliers are now encouraging energy customers to make the switch from a traditional energy meter to a smart meter.  Smart meters are capable of supplying meter readings automatically to suppliers, so you don’t have to. Plus, with the option for a Consumer Access Device, you will be able to see your energy consumption in real time. Displaying just how much energy various devices and appliances around your business use when in operation.  For more about the business smart meter roll out, click here or get in touch with our friendly team.