With global events pushing up wholesale energy prices, and despite limited Government intervention to control costs, there’s never been a better time to adopt measures to better manage your business energy usage and budget.

Smart meters, which are currently being rolled out across Britain, can help your scale-up do just that.

Using a secure smart data network, a smart meter automatically sends monthly gas and electricity readings directly to your energy provider. This means your bills are more accurate and you no longer need to waste valuable time submitting manual meter readings.

Over 33 million smart meters have already been installed in homes and businesses across the UK, and if your scale-up has fewer than 10 employees, you may be eligible for one. Check out three simple smart meter benefits for a business below.

#1 – Simplified and more accurate bills

As a business owner, it’s easy to get bogged down in all those essential but menial day-to-day tasks, meaning you can struggle to find time to devote to your grander ambitions. With 98 per cent of small business owners still working on the weekends and in their free time, anything that can reduce the burden of administrative tasks is a godsend.

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A step-by-step guide to installing a smart meter for your business – Great Britain is upgrading to smart meters at a quick pace because of the potential benefits to efficiency, cost-saving and the environment, but how easy is it to get one installed for your business and what’s the process?

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With a smart meter, readings are taken in near real-time and sent directly to your supplier once a month. That means your bills are more accurate, you’ll only pay for the energy you actually use, and, with no need to take manual readings, you’ll have more time to spend on the most important task of all: growing your business.

#2 – Gain greater control over your energy usage

Understanding and gaining control over your business energy usage with a traditional meter can be challenging.

With a smart meter, it could be much easier. If you receive an In-Home Display (IHD) or can track your usage online, you can see exactly how much energy you’re using in pounds and pence by day, week, and month. This gives you greater control by helping you to identify when and why you’re using more energy and take steps to cut down and save money.

Over 40 per cent of small business owners claim that they still work more than forty hours a week, and much of that spent working on admin, having a quick and easy breakdown of your energy use can save a huge amount of time. 

#3 – Help protect the environment

Every business needs to do their bit to reduce carbon emissions and help achieve Net Zero by 2050. But how can a smart meter help?

Having your business run on a smart meter can help in two ways. 

First, by having a smart meter installed on your business premises, you’re contributing to the creation of a smarter nationwide energy system. By providing suppliers with more accurate readings, they gain a much clearer picture of how energy demand changes throughout the day, month and year. This helps them to plan for peak times and prioritise the use of renewables over fossil fuels when meeting demand.

Second, if you receive an IHD you are able to monitor your energy usage, you can cut down on unnecessary usage and help to reduce carbon emissions.

Get a smart meter for your scale-up

Any scale-up with fewer than 10 employees could be eligible for a smart meter. So, if you’re ready for more accurate billing and greater control of your energy usage, contact your supplier for more information about smart meter installation. It takes just two hours and can take place at a time that’s convenient for you

If you run your business from your home, you should also be eligible for a smart meter – every home in Great Britain will be offered one by the end of 2025. And if you’re in a rented premises, as long as you pay the bills, you can request a smart meter.

Depending on your supplier and your tariff, you may even be able to get a smart meter at no extra cost. However, some businesses may still be charged for a part of the upgrade or for access to their energy data usage.

For more information about the benefits of installing a smart meter in your workplace, visit Smart Energy GB.

This article is part of a paid-for information campaign for Smart Energy GB.

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