Eoin Cullen of  Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) spoke with Justin Purcell in an online information session on 22 February to share information on grants and actions you can take to reduce your energy costs.

Some of the practical measures you can put in place to be more energy efficient and other useful supports for your business are also outlined below.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland understands the impact of rising energy costs and the need to reduce your energy use. An average SME could potentially reduce its energy bills by up to 30% by implementing energy-efficiency measures, and 10% savings can be achieved with little or no capital cost. Here are some key actions that businesses and employees can take right now.

Heat

The longer your heating is on and the higher your thermostat is set, the higher your bills will be. Heating costs increase by 8% for every one-degree increase.

• Check your timers are set to the correct date and time, considering different working hours on the weekends and bank holidays.

• Ensure heating in offices is set to 19 degrees, and to below 19 degrees in areas of higher physical activity.

• Identify who is responsible for heating controls and communicate this to your employees, asking that they avoid tampering with the controls.

Draughts

Up to 30% of heating costs can be saved by preventing cold air entering a building. Controlling this is one of the easiest ways to reduce your heating bills:

• Identify sources of draughts and fit appropriate draught-proofing.

• Ensure that doors are not being propped open for convenience and consider fitting spring-loaded door closures.

Light

For many businesses, lighting is one of the most energy-intensive parts of the business – it can be responsible for 40% of a building’s electricity use.

• Make use of natural light – relocate objects that are blocking windows, ensure window blinds are open during the day, and arrange desks near windows without causing glare.

• Identify and label your light switches to encourage staff to turn them off when not in use, and agree that the last person out turns the lights off.

• Consider installing occupancy sensors, which can reduce lighting energy use by 30%.

• Consider replacing non-LED bulbs with suitable LED ones – LED bulbs use up to 90% less energy than traditional bulbs and can last up to five times longer.

SEAI tips for business

The SEAI provides grants and supports to help your business reduce its energy use. See seai.ie.

Create an energy action plan

The SEAI’s ‘Introduction to Energy Management’ training takes you through the six steps to creating an energy action plan:

1. Create a business case for energy management.
2. Assign an energy coordinator.
3. Write your energy statement.
4. Track your energy consumption through bills and meter readings.
5. Identify potential areas to save energy.
6. Create your energy action plan.

Register for the next Introduction to Energy Management to learn how to create an energy action plan.

Energy audit supports

If you spend more than €10k per annum on energy, apply for the SEAI Support Scheme for Energy Audits and receive a €2,000 voucher towards a high-quality energy audit. This will help you identify your significant energy users and the steps you can take to reduce your use.

Connect with the SEAI

Encourage your staff to join the SEAI Energy Academy, where they will learn about the basics of energy efficiency, helping you embed a sustainable energy-use culture within your organisation.

Climate toolkit

You can start your zero-carbon journey with the Climate Toolkit 4 Business:

• Register with the Toolkit to track your progress in reducing your footprint and to share your action plan with colleagues and customers.

• Follow the ongoing communications campaigns, including the Reduce Your Use campaign.

• Engage with the supports offered by the SEAI, LEOs, Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and others.

Resources

• Visit the Law Society’s Business Hub for supports to help you run a sustainable business.

• Watch the information session (22 February) on business energy grants and supports, with expert guidance from the SEAI’s Eoin Cullen – see the slides.

• The Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme was introduced by Revenue to support businesses with increases in their energy costs. Further information on the scheme is contained in the TBESS guidelines.

Justin Purcell is the Law Society’s practice support executive.