Discover whether you could be saving on what you pay for your gurdwara gas and electricity. See the best deals from UK suppliers with Business Energy Comparison.
Gurdwaras are places of worship for the Sikh community, but they are so much more than that. Since the cost of living crisis began, both Sikhs and non-Sikhs have been heading to Gurdwara buildings for warmth, shelter, and food. These amenities are provided to all people, regardless of their religion or culture.
However, it is becoming more difficult for these Sikh places of worship to provide these services due to the rising costs of energy in the UK. Thankfully, there are ways to save money on energy, despite it being hard to find suppliers with better rates.
At Business Energy Comparison, we can simplify this process by providing free quotes from the top energy suppliers in the UK. In this piece, we’ll also offer advice on how to reduce your Gurdwara’s energy expenses.
Gurdwaras tend to use quite a lot of power, as they often need to cook for many people and keep the building heated most of the time. Currently, this would not be very sustainable if not for the Energy Bill Discount Scheme provided by the UK government.
The UK government has previously supported both large and small businesses through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme in effect from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. This scheme provided businesses with a maximum discount of £345 per MWh for electricity, and £91 per MWh for gas.
Now, the Energy Bills Discount Scheme provides a maximum discount of £302 per MWh for electricity and £107 per MWh for gas. While these are less than the expected wholesale prices, the scheme is still helping to support Sikh Gurdwaras across the UK.
However, it is still possible for Sikh Gurdwaras to save even more on their energy costs.
Many of the largest Gurdwaras in Europe have already switched to some form of renewable energy, reducing both costs and carbon emissions. While it may initially be expensive to switch to renewable energy, it will reduce costs over time and eventually pay for itself.
When it comes to renewable energy on a small scale, solar power is the best option. Solar panels aren’t as bulky as wind turbines, and are much more common, which means they are often much cheaper to purchase and install.
Most energy used by Gurdwaras is for heating and cooking, and solar power can be used effectively for both of these purposes.
Solar thermal systems are cheaper than solar PV systems, as they can only be used to provide central heating and hot water. These are effective in keeping Gurdwaras warm without using any electricity or gas from the national grid. So, solar thermal systems can be used to reduce your Gurdwara’s gas and electricity bills.
Solar PV systems are not unattainably expensive and there are small solar PV systems that will only power your Gurdwara’s lights and certain appliances. It won’t allow you to go entirely off-grid, but it will certainly save some money.
If other businesses or people in the Sikh community are willing and able to donate towards a solar power system, it may be possible for a Gurdwara to go entirely off-grid.
With a large enough solar PV system, even the largest Gurdwaras can go off-grid and cook with the electricity generated by solar panels. This energy can also be used to power lights, various other appliances and several amenities around the building.
Currently, electricity is significantly more expensive than gas in the UK. So, if your monthly energy costs are mainly made up of electricity, it is relatively straightforward to cut back on your usage.
Below, we have listed some methods to help you reduce your electricity usage.
Gurdwaras do a lot of cooking to feed the homeless and other people experiencing food insecurity. You should be able to save a significant amount of money by switching to a gas oven and stovetop.
Gurdwaras also use a lot of energy to keep their buildings heated for community members struggling to stay afloat at this time. If your Gurdwara uses electric heaters or an electric boiler, then it is spending more than it should on electricity.
While a new gas boiler might be quite expensive to install, the amount you will save by switching to a newer, energy-efficient boiler will cover the costs in a few years.
Old incandescent light bulbs use much more power than newer compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs and LED light bulbs. CFL bulbs are between 70 and 80% more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and LED light bulbs are even more efficient. By replacing all of the light bulbs in your Gurdwara with LED light bulbs, you will save a surprising amount on electricity.
It will also be a good idea for Gurdwaras to make use of motion-sensing lights in rooms like bathrooms and pantries. When these rooms are not in use, these lights will not turn on, effectively reducing electricity consumption.
If you aren’t sure where else your Gurdwara can save on electricity, then it may be a good idea to bring in an energy auditor. This auditor will determine how much electricity your Gurdwara uses and can offer advice on how to reduce it.
They can indicate which appliances are using the most energy, and determine if the building has faulty wiring that might be causing wastage.
While there are many great ways to reduce your electricity usage, you should also try to find a supplier that won’t overcharge you. At Business Energy Comparison we can find the cheapest electricity quotes and allow your Sikh community to spend more money helping the less fortunate.
If you want to figure out whether you are paying too much for your gas and electricity bill, it is important to compare your Gurdwara’s utilities with other community centres. There are many energy providers in the UK, but they don’t all offer the same rates. Unfortunately, this makes it very difficult to find a cheaper supplier.
This is why it is important to compare your gas and electricity bill with those of other Gurdwaras. This can help you determine if you are paying too much for your energy and using more than normal.
Unfortunately, this research takes time and effort. You will also need to contact other Gurdwaras in your area to find out what they are paying for energy, and how much they are using.
At Business Energy Comparison, we have a dedicated team of energy brokers and consultants to help you with this. They can provide you with a list of deals from the top energy providers in the UK within minutes.
The Energy Bill Discount Scheme began on 1 April 2023 and is due to end on 31 March 2024.
No, places of worship are not exempt from VAT, but they can get a VAT reduction on the utilities they use for charitable purposes.
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