How to complete an energy audit for your business

The first step for completing a business energy audit is to gather all the data on your business’ current usage. Take a look at your energy bills from the last 12 months and record the amount of energy you’ve used every month. If you have a smart meter installed, this will tell you exactly how much you’re using. By doing this, you’ll be able to get a clear view of what you’re using, giving you a better picture of where you’re starting from.

Once you’ve gathered all the data you need regarding your consumption, the next step is to identify patterns in the data. Maybe there’s a spike in usage at certain points of the day or month? You’ll need to consider other factors that might be impacting your consumption. This could be anything from changes in weather to varied production levels.

The next step in the process of completing an energy audit is to analyse each piece of equipment on your site. You’ll need to be a bit critical here. Is your equipment old? This might mean it takes more energy to run than newer models. Is your lighting LED? If not, it could be costing more to have them running. Do they automatically switch off? If not, they could be on when they don’t need to be. Cooling systems and heating need to be considered too as well as insulation and windows. These could all be reasons why your building is wasting energy.

Once you’ve got the full picture of your usage and all the equipment you have on site, the next step is to identify all the ways you could be saving energy. Make a list of all the possible improvements that could be made to your site. Think about switching to LED lights, newer equipment or installing new insulation or solar panels. Our advisor can help you to figure out the best solution for your business. Once you’ve thought of improvements you can make, it’s time to prioritise. Consider which methods you want to implement first, looking at return on investment and the potential funding and rebates available.

Once you’ve identified all the changes you want to make, it’s time to develop your plan of action. Come up with a detailed list of improvements you want to make, and the timeline and budget involved. You’ll need to consider the potential impact that your improvements may have on the business. For example, changing to new equipment or installing insulation or solar panels, might cause some disruption to your business operations.