With the current world economic situation as it is, it’s no surprise that energy costs have been dramatically fluctuating over the last few years. From being relatively stable to now rising and falling quite quickly, it can not only be hard to keep up but also hard to estimate a reliable energy budget. For a small business owner, not being able to budget accurately can be quite distressing. This can especially be the case if you have carefully budgeted for a certain amount, only to find out six months down the road that the energy costs dramatically skyrocketed over three of those months, leaving that careful budget in the dust.
Working from Home
Many small business owners, especially those who could be termed entrepreneurs or solopreneurs work from home. This is also true of many other people who might run their own practice, such as psychologists, or those who have a construction business and keep an office in their home when not on the work site. Not only can this cause a drain on the small business budget, but it can also end up being a sticking issue within family finances.
Not All Utility Companies are Created Equal
The good news is that there are a few available options to try to stop this issue. The first is price comparison. Not all utility companies are created equal, especially when it comes to electricity contracts. It is important to realize that a little bit of shopping around can do nothing but help your cause. There are companies out there who will do the comparing for you, saving some time and money down the road, especially when they most likely have quite a bit more negotiating power than you, a small home-operated business might have. Down the road, these savings can translate into thousands of pounds over a year, quite an impressive amount.
Energy Conservation
Another way to ensure that energy costs are kept at a reasonable level is to be conscious of the amount of energy you are using. Sustainability is very important now in society, and every little bit helps. Turning off your computer, lights, even coffee machine or microwave will each save quite a few quid each year. An even better solution is to unplug them completely each night. As you might know, even if an electric appliance is off (if it has a transformer), if it is still plugged into the wall outlet, power is still being drained and used. While the difference might not be huge for a home run small business of one or two compared to a large organization down in the financial district, savings are still savings.
These options are not only good solutions towards any small business owner, but also in the family home as well. What seems like very small changes can actually lead to quite large savings. And doing very simple things like negotiating electricity contracts, or unplugging the family electronic equipment each night all add up to make a difference over time.
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