Discover whether you could be saving on what you pay for your restaurant’s gas and electricity. See the best deals from UK suppliers with Business Energy Comparison.
With the cost of living crisis hitting many Brits harder than after, it’s vital to get the best energy deal.
Thankfully, as a business owner, you can take measures to lower your gas rates and electricity bills so they don’t eat into your hard-earned profit.
This comprehensive guide aims to provide you with some handy hints and tips to drive down the cost of your energy bills. We’ll also show you how switching energy providers could also save you some serious money.
The UK’s price cap on energy bills increased in 2023 to £3,000 for households, so there’s no denying that the financial landscape looks worrisome for many of us.
And, when it comes to businesses, there is no cap placed on gas and electricity bills. Instead, the government has limited the wholesale price suppliers pay to generators for energy. Yet, bill prices continue to rise for every business, regardless of size.
When it comes to hairdressing, overheads can turn expensive, particularly when it comes to electricity. In your working day, you use a host of electrical appliances, from hairdryers to straighteners (and the all-important kettle).
Salons are one of the biggest energy users out of all businesses here in the UK. Due to the number of electrical devices used, a small salon can use an excessivee amount of electricity – in the region of 7,000 kWh every year. That’s almost double the amount consumed by the average UK household.
Help is at hand, however. Read on to discover some great ideas to save you some money when it comes to your hairdressing business.
Thankfully, there are ways that those working in the hair and beauty industry can manage rising energy costs.
Below are four ways that you can save money on your bills.
By far, the easiest and most effective way to tackle high energy bills is to change your energy supplier. Shopping around online generally isn’t the best way to find a great deal. The solution? Using a price comparison website will save you a lot of time and effort.
At Business Energy Comparison, we make it easier and faster than ever to find the best energy supplier with the best deal for you.
There are two types of energy tariffs:
With a fixed-rate tariff, as the name suggests, the rate per unit of energy is fixed for a set period. This tariff is usually much cheaper than a variable rate tariff, where you aren’t tied to a contract for a specific amount of time.
With a fixed-rate tariff, you are protected from price increases for however long your contract lasts. This leads to more clarity in how much you will need to pay, making budgeting for these bills a simpler and stress-free approach. And, once your contract comes to an end, you can use a price comparison website to shop around for the best deals.
The Climate Change Levy is a tax imposed to encourage businesses to consider their energy usage. It also aims to make companies become increasingly efficient with what they use.
Thankfully, there are ways to avoid this tax:
While the first one is self-explanatory, the latter requires a little bit more thought. Switching to completely renewable energy consumption might not be right for everyone. However, there are energy suppliers offering completely green tariffs, reducing your carbon footprint.
Like most salons, you probably have a small team of hard-working and talented individuals working for you. In order to save energy, it is your employees’ responsibility as much as it is yours to ensure that the measures you put in place are actioned.
Employees can provide more support when asked for their opinions and ideas on how you, as a team, can cut the amount of gas and electricity you use. You might want to consider incentives like a small cash prize for the brightest idea. This is sure to get everyone actively collaborating and adding ideas to the mix.
You might also want to consider implementing an Environmental Policy at work. Ensure your staff are aware that, while saving money may be the goal, you’re also doing your bit to save the planet. This is something to be advertised proudly.
Although not practical to change your electrics right away in many cases, when your washing machine has had its day, opt for a greener product than your previous one. Shop around and find the best deals, as well as research the most eco-friendly models.
In order to save energy, consider implementing one or more of the following tips to reduce your salon bills and save money.
About 40% of hair salons’ energy usage comes from the constant use of lighting. One great way to save energy is to get rid of any halogen bulbs you are using. Instead, opt for LED bulbs which are extremely eco-friendly and also work great as mood lighting.
T8 fluorescent tubes are another form of lighting that ideally should be recycled and replaced. You could opt for LED bulbs or T5s, which are also much more energy efficient.
Many salons have illuminated window displays. While this serves a purpose as advertising and maintaining your brand aesthetic, it has downsides regarding energy consumption.
This can hit small businesses particularly hard. Consider if you really need lighting in your windows when your hair salon is closed for business.
Make sure that all of your salon electrics are turned off at the end of the day and when not in active use. Placing them on standby shouldn’t be a consideration unless you really need to. This is because they can consume almost 75% of the energy they do when they are being used, so standby can be very expensive.
Often, people overlook the fact that both the heating and hot water used in a business will also allow the electricity total to creep up fast. In fact, around two-thirds of your energy costs will likely be down to these two factors.
Even a slight adjustment to your thermostat can make a big difference. By turning your thermostat down by just 1°C, you should quickly see a noticeable difference in your energy bills. This temperature change is unlikely to affect your clients as using so many appliances that emit heat keeps the salon temperature warm and toasty.
Another great tip is to not heat up the areas in your hair salon that you don’t need. This includes rooms like toilets and storerooms.
By far, one of the biggest energy users is air conditioning. While the AC can be a lifeline in the hotter months, it also consumes a mammoth amount of energy. And, in some cases, it can double your bills. Instead of keeping it on all day, use it solely when the temperature is at its highest.
During other times you can open doors and windows to allow a steady flow of air through the salon, or switch to electric fans. These can do a great job of keeping a room feeling cool, and they only cost pennies to run per hour.
A boiler that isn’t regularly serviced runs the risk of using too much energy. This is why a yearly service is always highly recommended. If you have boiler insurance, the cost of having a professional inspect your boiler is usually included.
If you don’t have insurance, however, the cost of a service will be much less than the amount of energy an unhealthy boiler will consume.
Using smart technology can go a long way to allowing you and your salon to become more energy efficient. These devices allow you to be increasingly mindful of how much energy you use, so you can do something about it.
Many devices can be easily paired to your phone, so if you need to pop out or are commuting, you can turn them on and off with just the touch of a screen. There are also some apps where you can set them up to turn on and off automatically. Say, for example, you want the heating to turn off when your salon reaches X temperature.
As any hairdresser knows, one of the most mundane salon chores is washing and drying the large plethora of towels you go through each day. Having both a washing machine and tumble dryer on the go constantly can quickly lead to skyrocketing energy usage.
There is an alternative, however. Switching from cotton to Easydry towels means you won’t need to use the tumble dryer. Because they are created from super-absorbent fabric, they dry quickly on their own. They also have the added benefit of being more hygienic than regular cotton towels used in most hair salons.
And, while you aren’t using as many electrical appliances, you’ve also doing your bit for the environment by lowering your carbon footprint. It’s a win-win in this regard.
Here at Business Energy Comparison, we pride ourselves on helping thousands of businesses up and down the country find the very best deals on their energy.
We work hard to provide you with only the best exclusive rates from the top energy suppliers here in the UK, so you can save some serious money at a time when being frugal is a necessity for so many of us.
It’s never proven more difficult to find a great deal. Hours of internet searching and scouring the endless amount of energy companies can leave you feeling drained and more confused than ever. Plus, it takes time – something that not many of us have nearly enough of!
We have a dedicated, professional team who does all the work for you, so you can concentrate all your energy on the things that matter.
Both large and small businesses are feeling the pinch when it comes to the creeping costs of energy. And, now more than ever, UK businesses need seriously consider how they can save energy to avoid overpaying on their gas and electricity bills.
Thankfully, there are some great ways to save on your utility bills at your salon with just a bit of out-of-the-box thinking.
By far, the best way to save energy, however, is to compare business energy suppliers. Why not get a free quote from us at Business Energy Comparison today and discover just how much money you could save on your business bills?
Business Energy Comparison
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Corby, NN17 1NN
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