Make an impact now with quick wins

Quick actions that cost little or no money can benefit your business resilience and profitability.

Take simple steps now to:

reduce your business costs, including operations
reduce the waste you have to handle, including wasted energy
improve operational efficiency so you can be more productive and profitable
invest in bigger sustainability actions or free up money for other areas of your business

Any of the following can help you get results from sustainability rapidly:

Controlling energy use

Energy control is about managing how you light, heat, cool and power your business so you can reduce costs, waste and inefficiency.

Unlock savings and improved energy efficiency quickly by:

measuring your energy use now – includes how people and machines use energy
tracking energy use, for example with energy management software, automated building management systems (BMS) and smart meters (which can send you live data as well alerts about your usage)

Use sustainability steps including:

using thermostats and timers wherever you can, for example to control air extraction and energy intensive security lighting
setting thermostats and timers to allow for different working hours on weekends and Bank holidays
turning off communal kitchen machines at the end of the day, including microwaves, dishwashers, coffee machines and kettles
insulating your hot water tank, pipes and radiators
fitting PVC strip curtains if cold stores or warehouse doors need to be open for loading or unloading
maximising natural light and using timed switches and motion sensors for night lighting and dimming of lights when there’s daylight
adding external shading such as awnings, overhangs and trees

Regular maintenance and cleaning keeps boilers, air conditioners, motors, drives and other equipment working smoothly and using less energy.

Reduce your running costs now with steps including:

checking your boiler stops firing when the thermostat or timer shuts off the circulating pump
identifying any air conditioning filters that might be clogged or ripped
repair or replace damaged or worn door seals on fridges and freezers
using renewables where you can, such as solar panels or heat pumps
dusting and cleaning windows, skylights and lighting

Sustainable impact in business travel and transport use starts with planning.

Include:

measuring the current cost and scale of your current business travel and use of transport
replacing business travel with online meetings or phone calls
replacing private cars for travel with public transport, lift sharing or car clubs
offering cycling schemes for business travel
switching to electric vehicles (EVs), including hiring EVs

Small actions can have big results. This includes:

asking for bins to be removed from your service contract or reduce how often bins are collected if, for example, bins are not full when they are collected
prioritising recycling waste so you don’t have to pay more to dispose of mixed general waste, for example, removing ‘general waste’ bins and personal bins under desks
using digital documents instead of paper
reviewing your stock control processes, for example, using concentrated cleaning products and bulk and refillable containers
becoming part of the circular economy, offering repair services, reuse and rental of infrequently used products
reducing water waste by, for example, by using dishwashers on full loads only and fitting flush control to urinals

Regular reviews of your gas and electricity business tariff give you control so you can:

Make an impact now to be more resilient and profitable by:

speaking to your current provider about switching to a cheaper plan
switching to a ‘green tariff’ or ‘renewable tariff’ option
comparing your current energy supplier’s tariffs with other providers
considering a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) if your business has high energy usage for potential cost stability and lower rates
considering switching energy supplier, especially if you’ve taken over a new premises and your current or last contract does not have a renewal plan or planned switch