Rising energy costs are becoming a real problem for us. Are there any simple and effective methods for cutting our costs?

Energy efficiency provides businesses of all sizes an opportunity to make a difference to their outgoings. Adopting more energy-smart measures provides most retailers with an opportunity not just to lower cost, but achieve savings of as much as between 20% and 25%, says Nick Grant, British Gas director of corporate markets and energy services.

Grant says that a British Gas survey revealed that only 23% of financial directors felt confident in managing their energy costs. “As a result they were prioritising measures such as driving staff performance and cutting head count to cut costs. This shouldn’t be the case when there are simple measures to drive down costs,” says Grant.

He advises retailers to make sure they understand their contract fully. “Pick a fixed-term or a flexible contract based on your needs.”

He advises retailers to install Smart Meters, which help businesses understand how much energy they use. “This can give you accurate readings of energy usage, ending estimated bills, and it also means you can turn your energy data into real business insight.”

By using such data, retailers can assess whether investment in a wide range of energy-reducing technologies can help deliver returns.

He says a meaningful reduction in energy usage will only be achieved when the entire workforce is engaged. “Smart meter data has been used to show how similar sites are using energy differently. Best practice can then be identified,” he adds.