5 Practical Ways to Reduce Energy Consumption in Your Business This Winter
Discover simple yet effective ways your business can reduce winter energy bills and stay energy-efficient without disrupting daily operations.
Winter is often the most expensive time of year for business energy use. Offices, warehouses, retail units and hospitality spaces all rely more heavily on heating, lighting and hot water during colder months, which can push business winter energy bills higher than expected.
According to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the average electricity price for UK non-domestic users reached 25.97p per kWh in late 2024, up from14.81p in early 2021. Unsurprisingly, it means many businesses are looking for reliable ways to reduce energy consumption and keep winter energy bills under control.
The good news is that small operational adjustments and low-cost upgrades can significantly reduce energy costs without affecting productivity.
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Lighting can form a large part of winter energy consumption for businesses. Shorter daylight hours mean lights stay on for longer, often unnecessarily.
Simple day-to-day habits help reduce energy bills in winter, such as switching off lights in unused offices, meeting rooms and storage areas.
Longer-term improvements like LED lighting, occupancy sensors and daylight controls cut consumption even further and help reduce energy costs across the building.
Break rooms, staff kitchens and wash areas use more energy than most businesses realise, especially during colder months.
A few easy changes reduce energy consumption immediately:
These simple steps reduce water heating demand, which helps lower your winter energy bills.
Older commercial buildings often lose heat through uninsulated cylinders, valves and pipework. Adding insulation is a low-cost upgrade that helps keep heat where it is needed, reduces boiler workload and lowers energy consumption during peak winter usage.
Many businesses see quick returns on this small improvement.
Standby power can be a hidden drain on business energy bills. Printers, monitors, meeting room screens, vending machines, kitchen appliances and IT equipment all draw electricity even when they appear idle.
Turning equipment fully off at the end of the day or using timers and smart plugs reduces wasted energy across the site. Just make sure essential equipment like servers, refrigeration and security systems stay operational.
Read our recent blog to find additional ways to cut business electricity costs.
For hospitality, leisure, healthcare and industrial businesses, laundry is often one of the most energy-heavy processes.
To reduce energy costs:
These small changes significantly reduce energy consumption in laundry-reliant sectors.
Reducing winter energy bills doesn’t always require large investments. With a few practical adjustments, businesses of every size can reduce energy consumption, lower costs, and operate more sustainably during the colder months. For more advice on ways to cut energy cost, speak to our team.
