5 reasons your business’s electric bill is higher than normal
Find out why your company is paying more than you should be for your electricity each month
So you just looked at your company’s monthly power bill and—yikes.
Don’t worry, we’ve all been there, and you are not powerless. There’s a very high chance you’ve got the same problems other companies do when it comes to power.
So let’s take a look at the top five reasons your electric bill might have been higher than normal this month—and a few things you can do to get it down.
Pricing Rate Structure
Unlike when you fuel up for gas and you see the dollars to the gallon you will pay up front, electricity is a little more complicated. Your power company likely uses a pricing rate structure that considers any or all of the following:
- The location, size, and industry of your business.
- Peak demand hours. There are certain times of the day when power companies feel the most strain on their systems, and if you’re at full operation during those hours then you might be paying higher rates for electricity. You can mitigate these premiums, called peak demand hours, by shifting any of your nonessential operations to off-peak times of day or seasons.
- Spikes in your demand. You might be getting charged extra for demand charges, which are related to the highest amount of power you use at your max capacity—also called your peak running load. charges help utilities recover the costs associated with providing infrastructure and capacity to meet the highest levels of demand. Luckily you can mitigate these charges by using load shifting to stagger your power usage or by enrolling in demand response programs.
To see if your energy bill premiums are due to pricing rate issues, take a look at your energy bill’s breakdown—or better yet, install a smart meter to get even more data.
- HVAC Systems
Space heating is one of the biggest energy expenditures for businesses, coming in around 32% of total energy usage. That means it’s one of the best places to look for a potential energy sink that’s spiking your monthly bill.
But don’t just throw your heating and cooling systems out the window. Start by properly insulating the building, sealing any drafts, and utilizing programmable thermostats to regulate heating and cooling more efficiently. And you should really consider upgrading equipment to energy-efficient alternatives that can both save you on monthly costs and last longer. - Lighting
Lightbulbs may be small, but they can pack a punch in energy usage. In fact, lighting accounts for 10% of energy usage in U.S. commercial spaces. If your business is using traditional incandescent and older fluorescent bulbs, then you’re very likely using more energy (and generating more heat!) than if you used energy-efficient LED bulbs. LEDs consume less energy, have a longer lifespan, and emit less heat, making them the A+ choice cost-savings. And of course, if you’re leaving lights on when not needed then you’re just dumping money down the drain. Put systems in place to make sure those switches get flipped off whenever work is done for the day. - Computing Power
Turns out, computers use electricity. Who knew? Seriously though, while your business’s computing won’t be the greatest draw on power, it’s not insignificant. You should opt for the more efficient and cost-effective cloud storage option over in-house IT rooms which require significant maintenance. Plus, cloud storage lets you expand or reduce computing resources based on your needs, so you only pay for what you need. It also lets your employees access data and applications remotely. Tons of benefits for way less draw on your power. - Office Equipment
Even the smallest piece of office equipment, if left plugged in—yes, even a toaster—can contribute to an increased monthly power bill. Devices such as computers, printers, and chargers are some of the most common offenders in office spaces. Even in standby mode they can draw power. So make sure to unplug equipment when not in use, and consider using power strips to do a bulk power-down at the end of the day. You might also do a post-hours audit of your facility to see if you can find any of these phantom power draws affecting your monthly power bill.
Learn how to save on your energy bills
If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry! Electripure’s experts have seen it all and solved it all—and we’re itching to help. We’ll come out and do a free inspection of your facility, and we can hook you up with our proprietary smart meter, the CleanPQ system, which can show you all of the energy data on your business. That means you’ll be able to see exactly where you’re wasting power and identify action items to get that monthly bill down. Contact us today to schedule your free appointment and start paying less for the power you use.
