10 May 2017

Five Ways Small Business Owners Can Keep Utility Bills in Check

If you own a small business, it’s important to keep operating costs down in order to maximize your net profits. One easy way to reduce operating costs is to reduce your utility bills. Thankfully, this is a lot easier than you might assume. Follow these five tips for managing your company’s utility bills, and those costs should start easing their way down.

1. Get your HVAC system tuned up annually.

A good portion of your utility bill is likely dedicated to heating and cooling. Make sure you have a HVAC company come out once a year to maintain your heater and air conditioner. Tune-ups keep it operating as efficiently as possible, helping you save on utility bills.

2. Keep sunshine out during the summer.

Light flowing into your shop or office might look pretty, but it’s driving your air conditioning bills up in the summer. Place some blinds or drapes over your windows to help block the sunlight. You could also place poster-style ads on your windows and make double use of the space.

3. Don’t heat and cool areas you don’t use.

If you have a back storage room you only visit once a month or an extra office that’s currently vacant, close the air vents leading to that space. This way, you won’t waste money heating or cooling a space nobody visits. If there are any temperature-sensitive items like electronics or chemical preparations in these areas, move them to your more frequently used space so they’re not exposed to unregulated temperatures.

4. Install self-closing doors.

You lose a lot of heat (or cooled air) through open doors, especially in retail facilities where you have a lot of customers coming in and out. The longer the door is left open, the higher your utility bills climb. Installing self-closing doors is a good strategy for managing your company’s utility bills. If this is not in your budget, at least hang up a sign that says “Keep door closed.”

5. Turn down the lights.

If you haven’t already, switch to fluorescent lights. In a large business space, this can lead to huge energy savings over incandescent bulbs. Also, keep lights turned off in places you don’t frequent – like back halls and storage areas.