Towards Net Zero

So what steps can be taken to meet this challenge apart from raising your prices?

Well, I would encourage all of you to raise your prices this year as the current inflationary environment will undoubtedly negatively impact your profit margins if you do not!

However, carefully considering your business energy use and efficiency may uncover some surprising potential savings. In addition, with climate change high on the Government agenda, following the clear message from COP26 that more needs to be done and that we all have a part to play, this is a great way to ensure your business aligns to reducing your carbon footprint as well as your bills.

So what steps can be taken to meet this challenge apart from raising your prices?

The average small business could reduce its energy bill by 18-25% by installing energy efficiency measures with an average payback of less than 1.5 years. And it is estimated 40% of these savings would require zero capital cost.¹

There are lots of simple, straightforward actions you can take that will start saving you money straight away. You may be doing some of these things already, while others might be completely new ideas, and others will require discussions with a property owner if you do not own the premises.

All businesses must be offered smart meters by the end of 2024 under a roll-out scheme by the government to help meet its ambitious 2050 net-zero targets. Installation usually takes less than one hour and upgrading your meter to smart comes at no additional cost and with minimal disruption to your business.

Since I had a smart meter installed, which displays how much you are spending on your energy every day, it provides a visible tool that you can use with your team to see what strategies can be implemented to reduce your energy use and associated bills.

Smart meters also send your energy readings directly to your supplier, meaning you no longer need to take readings yourself or receive estimated bills.

Heating/cooling your premises

When was the last time you reviewed thermostat and timer settings for heating and cooling in your business? Heating costs increase by around 8% for every 1°C increase.

Heating in offices should be set at the recommended 19°C and cooling set at 24°C or higher. ²,³ Air conditioning is especially expensive and is often used in treatment rooms on hot summer days. Simply encouraging practitioners to turn this off (alongside aesthetic equipment that may be generating heat in standby mode) when there are gaps between clients can make a big difference to your energy use over the year.

Sometimes thermostats can be in the wrong place (near radiators/draughts or in direct sunlight) – or there may not be thermostatic controls in certain rooms which can cause issues with overheating in some sections of the building. Relocating and or upgrading to modern wireless thermostats and fitting additional ones in problem areas where comfort levels are difficult to maintain can make a significant difference. In addition, using infrared panel heaters in small admin areas where the room is not used frequently can be a good alternative to traditional radiators used via central heating systems.

Regular maintenance of boilers and air conditioning systems will also keep them working more efficiently alongside saving on future maintenance and repair bills.

Proper insulation/double glazing and replacing old and inefficient heating systems is a good long-term investment (although it can be difficult to persuade landlords to invest in this purely on cost savings vs environmental issues if you do not own the premises).

Lighting your premises

Having sufficient lighting is important and relevant to every business. For many, it is one of the most energy-intensive parts of the business and can be responsible for up to 40% of a building’s electricity use.⁴

The simplest and obvious thing to do is to turn lights off when not needed. It is a myth that turning lights off and then back on uses more energy than leaving them on all the time. It is always best to turn them off when not required, even if it is just for a brief time.

Staff training and creating reminders (i.e., last person leaving the building turns off all the remaining lights that are on) will reduce your annual carbon footprint and energy bills.

Installing timer switches and sensors that automatically do this can be another relatively low-cost option, especially for storerooms/toilets.

Do not forget any external flood lights which can be very expensive – a single 500w flood light will cost around £250 a year if it is left on for 12 hours overnight.⁵

Many business lighting installations are thought to be out-of-date and unable to meet current design standards. Traditional lighting products, such as older fluorescent tubes and sodium high bay lighting, are very inefficient in comparison to more modern high-frequency T5 fluorescent tubes or LEDs. These upgrades do require investment, but many providers offer finance options that can make the solution cost-positive from month one.

Office and aesthetic equipment

Computers, printers, microwaves, and aesthetic equipment left in standby mode all cost money – even when they are not being used and can reduce their lifetime, so you’ll need to replace them more often. Manually turning off equipment is a simple solution but investing in so-called “smart plugs” that fit between devices and the electrical socket can be an easier way to save energy.

With regards to aesthetic equipment, asking suppliers about energy usage ratings is worth considering when deciding which supplier to buy from, both in terms of overall usage costs and

comparisons between competing companies with similar specification devices.

Switching suppliers

If you have been with the same energy company for years and have not reviewed your contract, now is the time to dust it off and compare it with other providers. Business energy comparison sites such as uswitchforbusiness.com can help with the process, however, in line with net zero targets, I would recommend Green Energy sites such as greenenergyuk.com or bigcleanswitch.org for renewable energy providers.

For more detailed information on the above, I would recommend downloading the UK Govts Department of Energy & Climate Change document: SME Guide to Energy Efficiency.⁶ Reviewing your energy use and making appropriate changes is one component in the challenge that we all face in trying to shape a more sustainable future.

Engaging your staff in reviewing different areas of sustainability can have positive effects on your team alongside providing marketing messages that will resonate with your customers.

To discuss this with like-minded aesthetic entrepreneurs who are interested in incorporating sustainability as a differentiating factor in their marketing, alongside doing something positive towards reducing their impact on the environment, join the discussion on the Sustainability in Aesthetics Facebook Group.

^References

^{1) Department of Energy & Climate Change; Research to Assess the Barriers and Drivers to Energy Efficiency in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.}

^{https://bit.ly/3PBACi1}

^{2) CTG065 – Heating control Technology guide/Carbon Trust/October 2011}

^{3) https://bit.ly/3aktOW3}

^{4) Carbon Trust – https://bit.ly/3LGdDzg}

^{5) 0.5kWx 12 hours x 7 days x 52 weeks x 11.4p/kwh = £250, 11.4p is based on ENWORKS experience of the amount paid for electricity by companies this guide is aimed at.}

Towards Net Zero

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