Energy conservation is a very noble thing, but what people do not often realise is how it can significantly impact businesses such as commercial or rental properties.

Let’s face it, businesses have more demand for energy than residential homes and it follows that spending on energy is substantially higher.

Today, businesses bear the brunt of high energy prices just to keep it running, from computers, appliances, etc.

However, with good practice and common sense, businesses can reduce energy costs dramatically. 

It can be a simple as turning off a light switch or understanding how your property is using up electricity so you can determine which areas are unknowingly eating up more power than they should.

Understand your energy needs

Is your property energy-efficient? 

There’s no doubt every property needs appliances and power resources, but the main idea is whether you have enough or too much in it.

It could be the number of light fixtures in a room or a hallway, antiquated heating or cooling systems, and, yes, unused power hubs, just to name a few.

Hire a licensed electrician to assess your power demands so you can get a better perspective if your power needs are just right or overutilized, this way you may be able to help start planning how you can start fixing redundant fixtures and appliances.

It may cost a bit at first, but you can get returns on your investment when you start seeing those utility bills going down.

Identify phantom energy usage

Your property could be an energy hog especially when you have gadgets or appliances powered on all the time such as computers, televisions, mobile gadgets, and home or office appliances that work round the clock.

Using a power strip could help control the number of gadgets that are connected to the power source at the same time, however, a plugged strip continues to pull and consume electricity eating up energy even when it is not in use.

Invest in a smart energy strip that is now available in the market and is relatively inexpensive but can help save you money from phantom energy usage.

These devices help reduce overall power consumption, protects devices from lightning or power surges, and eliminates phantom usage when no device is attached to it.

Upgrade your equipment

Traditional incandescent and fluorescent bulbs or tubes consume a lot of energy since it still uses decades-old technology using high energy consumption. These can be replaced with today’s energy-efficient bulbs or tubes that consume less energy and lasts longer. 

Not only does it save money on power energy usage, but it also adds more savings due to its longevity versus replacements.

Humidifiers are also great at maintaining constant humidity levels in buildings and houses, which not only can help maintain lower HVAC heat settings but also be good for the health.

It also helps make air temperature ambient to make the indoor atmosphere warmer during cold seasons. 

Use alternative or renewable energy sources

Going green is no longer a difficult thing to do, with solar energy currently being harnessed for heat and electricity.

Technology has gone to leaps and bounds thanks to innovative practices that allowed harnessing power more scalable for homes and commercial buildings. 

Solar energy can be used as on or off-grid power alternatives to partially or even totally replace energy sources, where applicable. 

Take advantage of smart technology

Smart technology and innovation have been focused on ensuring the creating and manufacturing of gadgets and appliances that help manage the home, office, or building energy systems, that can minimise or turn-off devices that continue to use up energy even when, not in use, helps identify points of failure, and optimise performance to provide appliances and equipment optimal functionality using the least power resources.

Natural measures 

Even simple maintenance and upkeep of the property and equipment can cut energy costs, such as replacing old shower heaters with newer ones, installing window shades or blinds, cleaning refrigerator and airconditioning coils can go a very long way in helping property owners cut energy costs by as much as 30% to 50%.

With most or all these conservation measures in place, you’d be surprised to find saving hundreds and even thousands of dollars in utility costs.