Recently, most of the European countries have experienced one of the hottest summers on record. Besides being an ecological disaster, the hot summer days can also affect your wallet. You should note that the largest part of your business energy bill comes from heating and cooling systems. With your air conditioner operating 24/7 during the summer, there is a good chance that you can expect the highest business energy bills of the year. Thankfully, you don’t have to suffer from excessive temperatures just to save money. It’s a good idea to know how to save energy during the summer. There are a couple of steps you need to follow to help you save on your business energy bills. This page provides some tips to help you save during the summer.
Check Your Air Conditioning
You should remember that your air conditioning needs regular maintenance to work efficiently during its years of service. When you overlook doing the required maintenance, it can lead to poor performance and high energy use. Therefore, you need to check the fins, coils, heat pump, and evaporative cooler, but this may need you to hire a professional service provider. Fortunately, you don’t need to be an experienced HVAC technician to give your air conditioning a basic and quick check and make sure that it can perform effectively. You can vacuum air vents regularly so that you can get rid of any dust buildup and make sure that your furniture and other items are not blocking the airflow via your air vents. You should also avoid placing TV sets or lamps near your thermostat. This is because the thermostat can sense the heat that is in these appliances, causing your air conditioning to operate longer than necessary. That said, you can decide to replace your air filter. The good thing is that replacing the air filter is the most effective and easiest thing you have to do to ensure that the air conditioner is performing efficiently and smoothly. Dirty and clogged air filters can prevent normal airflow and lower the ability of your air conditioner from absorbing heat. You can save a significant amount of energy that your air conditioner needs to use when you decide to replace dirty air filters with clean ones. You can clean or replace the air filters for your air conditioner at least each or two months. Air filters require regular attention, especially if you use your air conditioner constantly. In such cases, it can have excess dust or you can clean or replace them if you own fur-shedding pets. Some single-room air conditioning systems can have an air filter placed in the grill. In central air systems, the air filter is mounted along the return duct.
Use Your Thermostat Properly
You need to set your thermostat high so that you can be comfortable in the summer. Remember that every degree of additional cooling can increase energy consumption by six to eight percent. Therefore, you can keep your business premises warmer than normal when your employees are not present, and reduce the temperature only when the staff is at your workplace. You should also not lower the thermostat when your air conditioner is running. This is because it cannot cool your business premises faster and may lead to energy waste. It’s a good idea to have a smart thermostat because it is designed to transition these temperatures quite easily. A smart thermostat is a Wi-Fi enabled device that can automatically adjust the temperature settings in the business premises for peak energy efficiency. A smart thermostat can learn your preferences and habits and establish a schedule that can automatically change to energy-saving temperatures when you are not at your business premises.
Use Fans With Your Air Conditioner
Using a fan can be quite cheaper than having an air conditioner. The truth is that operating a fan 24/7 for the whole month can save you a lot of money on your business energy bills. Unfortunately, fans don’t produce cold air that you need because they are designed to move the existing air around. Therefore, the air flow can create a wind chill effect that helps you to feel more comfortable, though it does not change the temperature. But air conditioners and fans work well together. You can decide to use an air conditioner and a ceiling fan. This allows you to adjust your thermostat setting with no reduction in comfort. You should remember to turn off your fans when you leave your business premises. After all, the fans don’t contribute much apart from increasing your business energy bill.
Close Your Blinds And Use An Energy-Efficient Dehumidifier
You need to close the drapes or blinds during the day to prevent the greenhouse effect of the sun. Western and southern-facing walls usually receive a lot of the sun’s heat, so you need to invest in good shades or drapes for the windows that are on these walls and they should be closed. On the other hand, north-facing windows can receive natural and even light, produce little glare, and they are not susceptible to unwanted summer heat gain. Therefore, you can have these shades open to allow natural light to enter into your business premises without heating things up. In humid and hot climates, a dehumidifier can be a great partner to your air conditioning system and the right way you can reduce humidity in your business premises. Remember that a dehumidifier can help to reduce energy costs because your air conditioner may not need to work hard. Therefore, when the air in your business premises becomes too humid, your air conditioning system requires it to work harder to cool the air and remove moisture. An air conditioner that works this hard can break regularly, so you may need to do expensive repairs. In conclusion, if you have tried all these measures but your energy bill is still high, then you may need to consider switching energy suppliers. You can find many business energy bills that may fit your business needs. In this way, you can choose a business energy contract that can help you reduce your business energy costs.