The past few years green energy has been thrust more and into the spotlight for personal and businesses alike. The world is moving to a cleaner greener way of doing things – some small some large. Simple things like recycling waste, which we now tend to do without a thought and driving more economical and lower pollution vehicles. From a corporate view, there can be some resistance to starting in place green initiatives, as the changes needed may cost money that could be seen as better spent elsewhere.
This is more obvious for smaller businesses. A small business needs to direct its resources, including labor and budget, in the areas that demand it, so things like energy efficiency often fall to the wayside of more important things like sales. This makes perfect sense, but it’s important for business owners to keep energy efficiency top of mind when they create new systems or processes in their business.
Choosing a Green Energy Provider
The electricity market has a variety of options, charges, and types of plans. By finding the right energy provider you can save money and have more clean and renewable energy options to choose from. Some providers concentrate on renewable sources, while others do not. Since there are sometimes hundreds of energy suppliers for your location, it can be time-consuming to find the best deal and stay green. By using an online energy marketplace that allows you to compare electric rates in once place from dozens of suppliers.
The world is slowly but surely going green, and by declaring and offering proof that your business is ahead of the curve, you are boosting your environmentally friendly credibility. Many consumers like to see this, as do suppliers and businesses you might supply.
Why It’s Everyones Responsibility
Corporate responsibility related to increasing green and clean energy is not only good PR but it can lower long-term business expenses as well. For small and large businesses alike, reducing waste and unnecessary expenses can align with the bottom line and the greater good of the planet.
Where energy usage is concerned, there are often large savings to be made by doing things that take very little time yet save energy that is otherwise wasted. For example, turning off appliances that are on standby for a long time can save a decent amount. Consider the number of printers, computers, and perhaps photocopiers that are always drawing power. You may be saving small amounts with each of these but add them together and the result is quite notable.
You may want to change your file storage systems. Do you really hundred of paper folders stuffed with receipts rotting away in filing cabinet, when you could use a digital system that cuts out paper completely? Or do you need to consider upgrading your windows, appliances, and equipment to increase energy efficiency – these types of investments may be financially painful at first but in many cases, they pay for themselves in time by reducing your usage and in turn cost.
What stops businesses from going green?
Green energy is booming, especially in the United States. In 2019 renewables exceeded coal in energy production in the USA for the first time in more than one hundred years. There is a lot of incentives and pressure on businesses to work towards a carbon-neutral future. Still, a lot of businesses are still slow to go green, so what is holding them back?
Expense is the main reason businesses do not “go green”. While the economics of green energy is improving, it’s still rather expensive. There will be costs involved in the transfer of systems from standard to eco-friendly – especially if you need to upgrade fittings and equipment to comply – yet the savings that can be made in lower energy usage, as well as better rates, have been shown to offset the expense quite quickly.
Solar panels on your office building may be a viable option for example, as well as on factories, other industrial plants and at home. It is certainly worth checking out as you will save money in the long-term.
Start with the basics
Make some small (and cheap) changes can help you get moving in the right direction. Change your fluorescent or incandescent light bulbs for LED, for example, which use far less energy and waste very little in the way of heat. Use recycled paper and cut down on the use of plastics in the workplace. And the biggest one, watch your energy usage and cost! When you use less energy not only will you lower your bills, you help relieve demand to the grid – in turn helping green generation technologies more viable. You will be shocked how much this can fluctuate in very small periods of time.
