Keeping your shop running and in the right conditions for customers to feel comfortable is an expensive business in itself. Keeping the shop floor heated in winter and cooled in summer, keeping it correctly lit, and keeping all the appliances functional all take a lot of energy.
Making sure that you are on the best business energy deals possible is therefore crucial if you want to keep costs down, ensuring more profits and more money to invest in helping your business continue to grow.
Find the right gas and electricity tariff for your shop
It is important to know that business energy deals work in a different way to your bills at home. Unlike at home, where you can often find combo deals for gas and electricity, you will have to buy your packages separately for your shop.
The amount that you pay will be calculated by looking at a few factors:
Find the right gas and electricity tariff for your shop
The amount of energy that your business will use will depend on its size, and the type of business it is. Smaller businesses will usually use around 15,000 kWh a year, whereas large shops can use around three times more.
There are several ways in which you can help reduce your energy bill simply by being more efficient. Installing modern LED light bulbs will help save your energy cost – they are around 75% more efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs.
Read more: Energy efficient lighting in shops.
Other simple measures such as making sure that lights are switched off when rooms are not being used and when the shop is closed can help to cut your energy consumption massively. Installing a smart meter, which tells you in real time what your energy usage is, can help you work out how to save energy when it is not needed.
Every business will have a credit score, which is given to you by how reliable you have been with repaying credit, such as making sure loan payments (and paying your energy bill!) are on time.
A good score will help your business get a much cheaper tariff (with a better rate per unit of energy), however all is not lost if your business has a bad score. Some energy retailers will allow you to place a deposit before starting your business energy contract. This will allow you access a more competitive tariff, since your energy supplier knows that they can use this in the event that you fall into arrears.
Whether your landlord covers your business electricity costs will depend on your tenancy agreement. For example, if the cost of your rent comes with ‘all bills included’, then they will pay for your electricity.
However, landlords are under no obligation to pay for your energy deal, and often will not, given how expensive business electricity prices usually are.
However, under the Landlord and Tenants Act of 1985, landlords should make sure that the electrical safety in your shop is in proper order, as well as the gas safety. If there is ever a problem during your tenancy, your landlord should pay the maintenance costs to get it fixed.