Everyone wants to do their bit to develop better Energy habits, and no doubt you’ve heard about how smart meters can help.
You’ve been offered a smart meter for your home, but do you know how far the incentive extends? Now, there’s a great opportunity for small businesses to benefit from tracking their commercial gas and electricity usage.
A Smart, Helping Han
The incentive for smart meters is being rolled out across the country. The government has set electricity and mains gas suppliers the target of making the technology available to every home in England, Scotland and Wales by 2020 – that’s 26 million households in total.
The goal is to switch from estimated readings to pinpoint-accurate digital recordings. These measurements are then sent directly to energy suppliers and used to generate fully accurate bills, based on actual usage.
You may already have a smart meter in your home, but eligibility extends further. Run a small business with fewer than 10 employees? Then, chances are, you’re entitled to a smart meter too. If in doubt, simply ask your energy supplier or broker. If your energy bills are included in the rent you pay for your commercial premises, it’s the bill payer who needs to make the request for your smart meter – so ask your landlord.
How it benefits your business
Accurate, up-to-date information on your energy usage is only one of many the benefits a smart meter can offer:
- Always in-the-know
Managing your overheads will become so much easier with accurate readings. No more estimated readings missing the mark when the bills come through.
- See your energy
You’ll be able to see the patterns of energy usage and habits; even that 3 o’clock tea break will tell a tale of the kettle’s hard work! Is your business wasting energy outside of normal working hours because computers are being left on overnight? These are issues a smart meter can help you identify and, more importantly, act on – whether that means investing in a hot water urn or reminding employees to switch off their machines at night. Developing a heightened awareness and understanding of your energy usage also makes you more likely to make smarter money and energy-saving decisions across your business.
- Automatic meter readings
No one needs to take ownership of the meter readings – your smart meter will take care of this for you.
- Back to power, fast
Faster, more reliable information means a quicker, more efficient response from energy suppliers in the event of a power cut. Less time without power minimizes the cost to your business.
- Planning for a greener future
By installing a smart meter, you’ll be joining a worldwide cause. Put simply, the long-term plan is to create a fully integrated smart grid linking different hardware, communications, and other technologies together in something of an internet for gas and electricity. Smart meters are a crucial step towards this vision, which will eventually serve homes and businesses alike with greener, more efficient, less wasteful and more cost-effective energy.
- Understanding tariffs
Your smart meter will not only inform you of usage patterns but relay this to your supplier too – with this, they can see which tariff will suit your needs.
Getting your Smart Meter
Smart meters are easy to use and, even better, easy to get. Once you’ve made the initial move of speaking to your energy supplier or broker (or your landlord, in the case of rented premises), here’s what will happen:
- Arrange a time
Your supplier will get in touch to organize a time to install your smart meter. They will work with you to ensure this is a time that works for both parties and causes minimal disruption to the running of your business.
- On the day
An engineer will be sent out on the day you have agreed, so be sure to have someone available to let them in.
- Job has done
With the meter installed, your engineer will give you a demonstration of how your new smart meter works. This is also an opportunity to ask any questions.
Just like that, it’s done! As soon as your smart meter is in, your business can start reaping the benefits.
Join the Many, Satisfied Customers
Customers who have already received their smart meters are already expressing satisfaction with their installation. For example, the Smart Meter Customer Experience Study carried out in August 2017 by the government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy revealed that 80% of those surveyed were satisfied with the technology itself, while 89% were pleased with the installation visit.
Time to make the most of these savings. Talk to your supplier today, or visit www.smartenergygb.org for more information.
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