Tips For Getting The Most From Your Smart Meter

We’ve put together some tips for getting the most out of your smart meter, to help you save money on your energy bills.

Smart meters themselves don’t put money in your account, so unless you are offered a specific smart meter plan, you have to know how to read your smart meter and actively use it to help you reduce your energy consumption.

LOOK AT YOUR ESSENTIAL ENERGY

How to use a smart meter: Look at your Smart Energy Display (SED) before the start of your opening hours, and again once your business is closed – the amount used during your closed period is your essential energy.

Essential energy is the amount you need to keep your appliances on that can’t be turned off over night (e.g. fridge/freezers, CCTV systems etc). By finding this out, you can see exactly where you can save energy and then reduce the amount of energy used that is not essential to your business.

GET TO KNOW YOUR SMART ENERGY DISPLAY (SED)

How to read a smart meter: Your SED shows exactly how much energy your business is using in pounds/pence and kilowatt hours. It will also show you how much energy you’re using in comparison to a similar sized business, shown on the light indicators. Green is low, amber is medium and red is high usage.

FIND YOUR MOST DEMANDING ENERGY SOURCE

By switching appliances, lighting and other electric equipment on and off while viewing your SED, you can find out what is using the most energy in your business and learn how to reduce it.

By analysing each appliances energy usage, you can make informed decisions on how you can reduce your energy consumption.

LEARN HOW TO BUDGET EFFECTIVELY

Now with accurate billing, you’ll know exactly how much energy you’re using each month. You can then use this to set your budget for your energy usage and help to organise your finances.

EDUCATE EMPLOYEES

Understanding smart meters: Get your employees clued up on how to read a smart meter and its SED. If they have more awareness over the businesses energy usage, they are more likely to take more responsibility for their habits and reduce their energy consumption throughout the business.

MONITOR SEASONAL VARIATIONS

Your energy usage will vary throughout the year due to seasonal demands, weather and overall energy prices. Using your smart meter, you and your energy supplier can track these changes and they can help you find the best plan for your business based on this.

BUYING ENERGY EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT

When buying new appliances or equipment, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions due to understanding your current energy usage. You can then choose energy efficient appliances and see the benefit each month on your SED.

Interested in getting a smart meter? Get in touch with us today and we’ll find the best plan to suit your business and help you to start being smart.