Last Updated on: 21st November 2023, 09:07 pm
No company is too small to benefit from an energy audit. These audits are especially important for smaller companies to do so they can evaluate their energy consumption and electricity costs.
If you are a small business owner then read on to find out why it is essential that you do these energy audits and the different types of energy audits that are available to be done.
This can help you know how to compare business energy providers and find ways to save money.
What is an Energy Audit?
An energy audit is done to assess how efficient or inefficient a business is when it comes to their electricity usage. To have an energy assessment done you can reach out to your power company, your local municipality or a private energy audit business to have this done for you.
The audit will also highlight any issues that your business and building might have such as any leaks, heating and air conditioning or ventilation problems that might be the reason your business is experiencing energy inefficiency.
The Different Levels of Energy Audit
There are different levels to an energy audit, and each is dependent on the business size and what the owner requests to be done.
Level 0
These are quick audits that are conducted to be inexpensive and only provides a limited list of ideas that the owner can consider to use when making changes to the business energy consumption levels.
These audits however, do not include any cost estimates or analysis or even saving estimates.
Level 1
This audit is a little more in-depth than level 0. The goal is to use the audit to understand how the energy flows within the business and to gain a sense of the overall energy performance of the business.
The auditor can also do an assessment of your past energy bills.
Level 2
This is a more in-depth audit using both level 0 and level 1 as part of the process. In-depth testing, interviews with staff and even looking into getting cheaper rates for electricity and gas suppliers.
Level 3
This is the audit that provides in-depth analysis, and provides data that can help the business make big changes to be able to save on electricity costs.
Importance of doing an Energy Audit
Here are the reasons why doing an energy audit is important for your small business.
- An energy audit will help lower your energy costs.
- The audit can also provide practical information that can highlight any problems with the business equipment such as leakage or faulty equipment that needs to be replaced.
- Putting into action measures that will reduce your company’s energy consumption.
- Lowers your business’s carbon footprint and decreases the amount of greenhouse gases being released by your business which makes your business environmentally friendly.
How Much Does It Cost to do a Business Energy Audit?
Here are the factors that are added to the audit costs that need to be considered when you are looking to do a business energy audit.
- Type of business
Some businesses have more equipment that requires energy usage to function than smaller companies.
- Level of energy audit
The level of energy audit that you request also factors into the cost as each level has a different price attached to it.
- Available documentation
If you can provide all the necessary documentation that the auditor needs to make the energy assessment it can be cheaper as it cuts down on the time the auditor will need to do research and conduct interviews.
- Size of the business building
The bigger the building the more energy it will likely use.
- Type of energy audit
This is dependent on which part of the business needs the audit as there are many layers to the assessment of an energy audit.
How to do a Small Business Energy Audit
Here are the steps you need to take to do a small business energy audit assessment.
Understand and assess your business energy use
To know how much energy you are spending you need to assess how much energy is being used.
Contact an energy auditor
You can start looking around for a professional energy auditor that you can afford to do an energy assessment of your business.
Walk around your business and choose and use an business energy audit checklist
Using a business energy audit checklist can help you check all your appliances and equipment to ensure that you are being energy efficient and not wasting energy.
Conduct a cost and benefit analysis
You can use the recommendations listed after assessing your business energy use to make changes to the business energy consumption methods that can benefit the business and save on costs.
Establish an energy saving plan
Formulate a plan of action that has energy saving tips and changes that your staff can implement to make the necessary changes to save the business money.
Conclusion
Saving energy is a top priority for both businesses and households especially with the rise in the price rates.
You can use energy saving tips to help increase the energy efficiency of your business and to reduce your business’s carbon footprint by using an energy auditor to evaluate your business and its energy usage.
Reach out to your local utility companies or a private business to find a professional energy auditor to meet your auditing needs.
