Sustainability and energy savings tips for small businesses

Whether your business operates with a few staff members from small premises or employs a large workforce across several sites, being mindful of how and when you use gas and electricity is vital when looking for ways to save money on your business energy.

Reducing your energy usage and making your business more sustainable could have multiple benefits for your business, such as: 

• Save money on business energy bills
• Increase your profits 
• Help the environment
• Improve the perception of your business

The great news is that many of these savings can be made with a few simple changes to your routine. But before we get into that, is there a difference between energy saving and sustainability?

What is the difference between energy saving and sustainability?

The terms energy saving and sustainability are related but distinct. Here's how:

• Energy Saving aims at reducing energy consumption, often for cost savings and to reduce environmental impact.
• Sustainability is a broader concept that includes energy saving but also focuses on long-term environmental, social, and economic health.

The Bionic carbon jargon buster

Making those smart changes to become a more sustainable business can be tough, not least because green terminology can be confusing. So let's clear up any confusion and explain what all that carbon jargon really means.

• Carbon footprint - The amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere because of the actions of a person, business, or community, including things like travel and energy consumption.
• Carbon intensity - The amount of carbon dioxide (measured in grams) that it takes to make one unit of electricity at a kilowatt per hour. The lower the number, the better.
• Carbon neutral - Being carbon neutral means removing the same amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as you put into it.
• Climate change - The changing temperature of the earth as a result of human activity. This usually shows itself as long-term shifts in weather patterns.
• Climate crisis - We’re pretty much past the point of simple ‘climate change’ and ‘climate crisis’ more accurately reflects the severity of the dangers posed to the planet by climate change.
• Eco-friendly - Products, packaging, events, services – pretty much anything - designed to have little or no damaging effect on the environment.
• Environment - This usually refers to the bits of the natural world that are affected by any sort of human activity.
• Green business - A business that has a positive impact (or minimal negative impact) on the environment, community, society, or economy.
• Sustainable - Ways to conserve natural resources and help to maintain the environment's health now and into the future.

6 simple ways to make your business more sustainable

Here are some simple ways to make your business more sustainable:

1. Scrap the plastic

A growing number of businesses are choosing to ditch plastic bags and replace them with reusable or paper alternatives. The UK plastic bag charge came into force in 2014 to put a 5p price tag on all plastic bags. This has since been raised to 10p.

The scheme aims to encourage shoppers to bring their own shopping bags or buy a reusable ‘bag for life’.  

And it's working. Since the scheme began, the use of single-use plastic bags across the biggest grocery retailers has dropped by a whopping 98%. 

As a small business, you may think scrapping plastic bags will be a costly measure that won’t make as much of a difference as it has in bigger shops and supermarkets. Packaging made from recycled materials or biodegradable options reduces energy use in production and disposal. It also reduces plastic pollution, conserves resources, and encourages the use of renewable materials, which all support long-term environmental goals.

But, in many ways, it’s what small business owners do that makes all the difference. It's all about setting an example to your local customers.  

You’re the heart of their community, and if you introduce reusable or paper bags, you are showing that your business is part of the solution. You're helping the planet and encouraging your valued customers to do the same. 

2.  Be mindful of recycling

A lot of businesses recycle and stress the importance of doing so. But sometimes employees aren't aware of the impact our throwaway culture has on the planet.  

As a small business owner, you could try and encourage staff to be mindful about recycling. Why not hold a fun training day for your team where you can spend a few hours getting to grips with what you can do as a business and how you can improve your system? Ask them what their thoughts are and come up with an effective plan to build upon. 

Or putting an extra bin for recycled waste in the workplace can send a simple and effective message. 

3. Ditch the printer

If you're guilty of needlessly printing out a meeting agenda or weekly rota ten times over, then you need to try and change that.  

Before you print anything off, decide if you need to or if it can easily be viewed online instead. If you run a shop, consider offering digital receipts instead of printed ones. A recent study found 77% of shoppers in the UK would be more likely to switch to digital receipts if they knew how many trees were felled to make paper receipts.

Just offering customers the option can go a long way, and it also ensures you’re staying adaptable as a small business and keeping up with the changing ways of business.  

4. Embrace a green workspace

It might not seem like much, but adding a few plants to your office or workspace has many benefits.  A bit of greenery can really brighten up a room and, if you want to dig into the science a little, more plants mean more oxygen is produced, which can also help create a happier workspace for your employees. 

And decking out the workplace with plants can be a continuous reminder of why going green is so important. 

5. Go green with your marketing

Being a green business has always been important, but it now seems critical as the planet has reached a climate emergency. Collectively, our small changes can make a big difference, and we must all be aware of the issues caused by not being sustainable.  

If your business uses social media, you could run Twitter, Facebook or Instagram campaigns focusing on the importance of going green. You never know, you might inspire someone who has never even thought about the impact their actions have on the environment.  

Showcasing how your business is helping the environment can make a massive difference to how it’s perceived. And it should be something you are proud of. So think about posting photos, videos, tips and tricks to show how you support going green.  

6. Switch to a greener supplier

Getting your own business to go green is only half the battle, and your efforts could be marginalized if your suppliers aren’t all that into sustainability. If you’re unsure about the green credentials of anyone in your supply chain, ask to see their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy. 

A CSR policy is used to show how a business works ethically and considers the social, economic and environmental impacts of what it does. If your suppliers don’t measure up, start looking for other sustainable providers instead. 

At this point, it’s also worth taking a look at your own green credentials to see if they can be improved. Ask yourself the following questions: 

• Are you using recyclable packaging on your products? 
• Do you pack out boxes with single-use plastic voids? 
• Do you re-use packaging and recycle paper? 
• Are your delivery vans ULEZ compliant? 
• Do you use energy-efficient office equipment? 

It also helps to put some energy-efficiency measures in place.

11 simple ways to help your small business save energy today 

Now you know more about sustainability, it's time to be more conscious about your energy habits. Our energy-saving tips will help you cut costs without impacting the quality of your products or services.

1. Assess when you’re heating your premises 

Think about when you most use electricity and gas at your business and weigh up if you need to heat your premises at those times.  

If you're on a standard fixed tariff and leave the heating on overnight or when rooms are empty, this can be a huge waste of energy and money. 

Instead, turn on the heating an hour before people enter the building so it's warmed up enough to start the day. Then, set the heating to go off about an hour before people are due to leave. The residual heat should be enough to keep the place warm until everyone's gone.

If you do need to heat your building overnight - say you have shift workers in the building - then it's worth considering a time-of-use tariff that offers cheaper rates at certain times.     

Another simple yet effective business energy-saving tip is to turn your heating down by one degree.  

You probably won't even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your business energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving and could slash your heating bills by as much as 10%. 

2. Switch appliances off 

Do you notice that you tend to leave appliances on standby rather than switching them off completely? We’ve all done it, whether accidentally or on purpose, and it hardly seems a big deal. 

But, when appliances are left on standby, they’re still using energy. If you’re not using the appliance, then this is a waste of energy and money. 

"Switching appliances off when you’re finished with them makes a difference when you want to cut your gas and electricity costs. When you next clock off, make sure you turn off your computer monitors, lights and any other unused appliances on your premises." - Ed Whitworth, Head of Energy Performance.

3. Pay attention to the weather  

Another way you can save energy is to take a closer look at your business thermostats and adjust them according to the weather conditions outside. If it’s a hot day and rooms don’t need to be heated, then turn the thermostat down or off and you’ll be saving money in no time.  

Domestic and business energy usage usually drops during the summer months as there's less need for lighting and heating (though cooling costs can add up). Simply being conscious of the weather outside and adjusting your thermostat accordingly can help make sure you’re more cost-efficient. 

4. Install a smart meter to save 

Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your business energy bills, largely because they help you see where and when energy is being used.  

A smart meter lets you see how much the energy you use is costing you, meaning you can curb your consumption and cut your business gas and business electricity bills.  

5. Be mindful of water costs 

60°C is the optimum temperature for hot water, so if you notice that you’re running water that’s hotter than that, a few issues can arise.  

Running water hotter than 60°C can be a health and safety risk for your staff or anyone using the supply – a trip to A&E to treat scalded staff isn’t good for anyone. Injuries aside, it could also leave you wide open to a costly business insurance claim. 

You’ll also be wasting energy too. Water heated to 60°C gets the job done without wasting energy. You could also think about installing touch-free taps to help make sure water is used more efficiently too.  

6. Turn off lights when not in use or fit light sensors 

Another easy way to save energy is to make sure you switch lights off whenever you leave a room. Simply advising staff to turn off lights when they leave an empty room or when leaving at the end of the day makes all the difference.  

You can also take advantage of natural light during the day. If it’s a bright, sunny morning or afternoon and the overhead office lights aren't making too much of a difference, pull back the blinds to make full use of the sunlight 

Many businesses also opt to install light sensors in areas like storerooms and toilets because they are low-traffic areas that only need lighting for short spells.

7. Encourage all staff to be energy-aware 

Decreasing our energy usage is something we all need to think about to cut costs and help the environment.

A study published on Energy Live News claimed that 68% of employees now thought about their energy usage more mindfully at work. But there’s still work to be done. That’s why you should talk to your staff about energy-saving initiatives and explain why it’s so important. You could think about things like incentives and rewards or words of encouragement to spur them on to get involved. 

8. Draught-proof your building 

If you work on ensuring your premises are well insulated, then there will be less need for expensive heating costs. Draught-proofing doors and windows is a cheap but effective way to save money on gas and electric bills as it limits the amount of heat that can escape and stops cold air from getting in.  

Making simple changes and taking time to inspect your premises to see if there are any gaps or cracks where draughts could come through will make all the difference. Savings will be reflected in your monthly business electricity and business gas bills.  

If you have the money available, it's always worth considering double-glazing, loft and wall insulation too.

9. Go paperless as much as you can 

Sometimes we don’t actively think about how many documents we’re printing and how much paper we’re using each day. And we very rarely consider how much electricity is being used to activate the printer. 

As more and more businesses go paperless, you could maybe think about if this option is viable for you too. Going paperless can be a great cost-effective solution if you find that you can email digital receipts or read a document online instead of printing.  

10. Request an energy audit 

Energy audits can be incredibly helpful, and your current energy supplier will be able to help you get started. By taking part in an energy audit, you’re ensuring that you know exactly where you are using the most and how you can cut this down. It’ll help you take full control of your spending.  

Many energy suppliers offer audits to help your business pinpoint exactly where you can save power and how you can do this. Just contact your current supplier to find out more and get started. For more information, including how you can carry out an audit yourself, check out our guide to business energy audits.

11. Switch energy suppliers

No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you've let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. This means you'll be on your supplier's out-of-contract rates. These are variable rate tariffs that usually come with much higher unit rates and standing chargeshttps://bionic.co.uk/business-energy/guides/standing-charges/ than fixed-rate contracts. 

Similarly, if you move into new business premises without sorting an energy contract, you'll be on more expensive deemed rates. You can find out more about this in our business relocation and Change of Tenancy (CoT) guide.

If you want to do a little more for the environment, it's worth considering a green energy deal or even putting your own renewable energy technology in place.

For more information about how you can save energy and cut your business gas and electricity bills, call our Bionic experts on 0800 540 4943 and see how we can help you. Or leave your postcode on our business energy page and we’ll give you a call back. 

Energy saving tips for different types of businesses

Although there are loads of general ways all businesses can save energy, some of the best ways to save will depend upon the type and size of business you run, as well as things like operating hours and the type of premises you work from. Here are some tailored energy saving tips for different types of businesses.

Energy saving tips by industry

• Retail: Focus on efficient lighting (LEDs), optimized heating and cooling, and energy-efficient refrigeration.
• Manufacturing: Implement smart meters, upgrade machinery to energy-efficient models, and consider heat recovery systems.
• Office-based: Reduce standby power, use smart lighting systems, and ensure proper insulation.
• Hospitality (hotels/restaurants): Upgrade kitchen appliances, install occupancy sensors for lighting, and use efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Energy saving tips by business size

• Small business: Switch to smart meters, use energy-efficient office equipment, and implement simple behavioral changes like turning off unused devices.
• Medium business: Conduct energy audits, upgrade heating and cooling systems, and consider renewable energy sources.
• Large enterprise: Implement large-scale automation, invest in solar panels or CHP systems, and use AI-driven energy management solutions.

Energy saving tips by typical operating hours

• 9-5 business: Optimize natural daylight usage and ensure HVAC is programmed to turn off outside working hours.
• 24/7 operations: Install high-efficiency HVAC systems and use smart automation to optimize energy usage throughout the day.
• Evening-heavy business (e.g., bars, entertainment venues): Focus on LED lighting and energy-efficient kitchen and refrigeration equipment. See if you can also save money by switching to a time-of-use tariff.

Energy saving tips by premises type

• Office building: Upgrade insulation, install motion sensor lighting, and ensure energy-efficient IT infrastructure.
• Warehouse: Use energy-efficient heating, LED high-bay lighting, and skylights to reduce daytime energy use.
• Factory: Optimize production schedules to reduce peak energy usage, and use variable-speed motors to control machinery efficiency.
• Shop: Use automatic doors to maintain indoor temperature, install energy-efficient lighting, and minimize refrigeration energy waste.

Energy saving tips if you use major energy-consuming equipment

• Heavy machinery: Use energy-efficient motors, implement predictive maintenance, and adopt automation to optimize performance.
• Refrigeration (retail & hospitality): Install energy-efficient models, maintain proper sealing, and use night blinds to reduce energy waste.
• IT servers (office & tech companies): Consolidate servers, use cloud computing, and optimize data center cooling systems.
• Lighting: Switch to LEDs, install motion sensors, and take advantage of natural daylight whenever possible.