Most Common Energy Efficiency Solutions
Beating The Increasing Energy Rates On every electricity bill, in small print, is a series of numbers that tell you how
Beating The Increasing Energy Rates On every electricity bill, in small print, is a series of numbers that tell you how
On every electricity bill, in small print, is a series of numbers that tell you how much you pay for your electricity. Not the big-bold figure at the bottom of the bill that tells you how much you owe for the month; but a small set of numbers found somewhere towards the middle of you bill. These numbers tell you how much you pay per KWh, a KWh being the rate you pay, usually measured in cents, per how many kilowatts of energy you use in one hour.
Just like any commodity on the market, energy prices fluctuate and depending on supply and demand, those “little numbers” on your bill could be going drastically up or drastically down. Summer and winter are obvious examples of drastic changes in KWh pricing.
Because those numbers are small and only represent cents or fractions of a cent, you sometimes don’t see drastic changes, but what you do see is an increased electrical bill. In times of peak usage, you’ve been seeing higher and higher electrical bills for the last ten years.
Lows in the energy market do exist, just like there are months of the year where you electrical bill is lower than usual. This is generally because you a) use less energy and/or b) energy prices are lower. What you are not seeing is that, despite routine dips in the energy market, rates never quite come back to how low they were before they spiked.
According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity rates have increased nationally by around 15% in the last 10 years. The above graph, from the EIA, shows the increase in average electricity prices as a percentage between 2009 and 2019. This may not sound like a lot but many businesses are paying thousands more for electricity each month.
Not to over-state the obvious, but one way to reduce your energy bills despite increasing energy rates is to implement solutions that allow you to produce the same amount of products or services while using less energy. Energy efficiency solutions generally apply to the day-to-day operation equipment and work to reduce the amount of energy they use without sacrificing comfort or production.
Commercial buildings can significantly reduce their overall energy costs by implementing smart and efficient energy saving strategies. Even though most energy efficiency strategies require an investment, in most cases they are calculated to pay themselves off within 1-2 years; at which point it’s all positive gain.
Incentives, tax credits and special financing options exist for energy efficiency projects that can help business reduce energy costs, cut waste all without straining their bottom line or overspending their energy budgets.
Here are some common energy efficiency solution’s we’ve found any business can implement and see rapid return:
HVAC system amount to about one-third of general energy costs. When not functioning properly, they are one of the biggest sources of wasted energy and increased costs. Intelligent HVAC monitoring systems can be implemented to measure and monitor HVAC performance. They can also detect potential breakdowns before they occur. Energy Professionals offers cutting-edge energy intelligence software that can be linked to any smart phone, tablet or computer allowing facility managers to ensure HVAC systems are running well and not overusing energy.
Need a new HVAC system? Think again, Energy Professionals offers HVAC refurbishment services. A patented technology that brings your HVAC systems back to like-new-condition for only a fraction of what it would cost to buy new air conditioners.
Too little air coming into a building from outside is a potential health hazard; yet too much air can increase your energy costs. CO2 sensors exist that control and help ensure the level of fresh CO2 is just right, allowing you yo keep within health standards and not overspend one energy.
An energy efficiency building envelope is also important. Combined with smart CO2 sensors, they can automatically adjust temperatures in the building to maintain optimum temperature levels while increasing energy efficiency.
Heating water, specifically during colder periods, can rack up quite some energy costs. The hotter your water, the faster you lose energy through pipes and storage tanks. But you don’t need every pipe and every tank ready and full of boiling hot water every minute of the day. Energy intelligent hot water systems can detect when hot water is most in use, when it’s needed and times where it’s not and appropriately start, stop and manage water heating appliances for maximum energy efficiency. Allowing you to reduce energy costs while still having hot water when needed.
Lighting consumes another third of your energy expenses. Most modern buildings have LED lighting systems and intelligent occupancy sensors. If you don’t, that would be the first place to start. If you do, there are many more things you can do to drive down the costs of lighting. For example, senors that adjust the amount of lights or intensity of lights that turn on based on how much sunlight a room already has, new lighting rigs that allow you to light a room with less bulbs, and so on. Energy professionals offers free LED lighting consultations and onsite surveys to help you find ways to reduce energy costs spent on lighting.
Remote Energy Monitoring for natural gas and electricity help detect and identify saving opportunities and facilitate load leveling and peak demand management.
Recent energy surveys showed that continuously monitoring a building’s energy systems can lead to reductions of 10% to 15% in annual energy bills. Energy professionals offers remote monitoring services, where certified Professional Energy Managers help monitor your energy use and work with you to constantly reduce energy costs.
Energy Professionals is committed to finding its customers the best possible rates on electricity and natural gas. Tell us your location and service type and our energy manager will connect you to the most competitive offers.
Switching to an alternate supplier is easy. There is no chance of service disruption, and you'll continue with your current utility for energy delivery and emergency service. Take a few minutes to discover your best offers, and enjoy the benefits of retail energy in your home or business.
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