7 ways to cut back your business water expenses
Business utility expenses are something that you simply can’t escape, but they can quickly start to take up a huge chunk of your monthly company outgoings. Your water bill is something that has to be paid if there is a supply of water to your business premises, but did you know that it is possible to reduce it? From performing an audit to find out where you might be wasting water to educating employees on conserving more water, there are several things that you can do to drive the cost of your monthly business water bill down as much as possible.
Check for leaks
Leaks are one of the most common causes of wastewater, and the unfortunate truth is that you don’t always know that you have one until it is too late. If you’ve noticed a sudden spike in your water bills even though usage hasn’t changed, or your water bills are going up and up even though nobody has been in the office during the COVID-19 crisis, it could well be a leak that is to blame. Spend some time trying to locate the source of the leak; if it is difficult to find or you’re not sure where to start, get a plumber to help you.
Conduct a water audit
The word ‘audit’ isn’t one that any business owner wants to hear – but don’t worry, this one will actually save you money! You’ll find a DIY self-assesment water efficiency audit in the Water Efficiency guide provided by Business Stream, one of the UK’s most experienced water suppliers. They know a thing or two about saving businesses money on their water, so there’s plenty of free advice available over on their website. Visit business-stream.co.uk to find out more.
Try an alternative water source
There are many benefits to using local, alternative water sources for your business. Rainwater harvesting, for example, can be a cheap and very efficient way to get useable water for your company compared to using the standard water provider in your area. Another option is wastewater recycling; recovering wastewater is another environmentally-friendly and often cheaper way to make the most of this resource and reduce water waste in your local area overall.
Water conservation policy
You might find it useful to have a water conservation policy for your business. When employees are not paying the company bills, they might forget just how much water can cost – and if people are using more water than they need to for tasks like washing their hands, washing the dishes or cleaning, it can end up being an unnecessarily large expense for your business. A water conservation policy in place can help you protect this resource within your business and give employees clear guidelines on how much water should be used for different tasks.
Water-saving devices
There are several devices that you can invest in to help your business save more water without having to make very many changes to the way that everybody does things. For example, you can get devices that can be fitted on toilets to use less water when flushed, or devices to fit on taps to prevent water wastage and only use the amount that is absolutely necessary. The best part is that even though they are saving water, these devices do not usually cause much, if any disruption, to the way that taps and toilets work, and you and your employees will forget that they are even there.
Switch your supplier
Finally, it’s easy to switch your commercial water supplier – so if there’s the option to go with another provider, it’s definitely worth looking into it to see if it would be a cheaper option for you. Be sure to give accurate details when signing up with a new provider so that your new water supply is priced accurately for your business; even simple info like how many employees you have working for you can make a difference.
Employee education
Finally, taking steps to educate your employees on the benefits of conserving water and how to conserve water in the workplace will benefit not only your business but the individuals who work for you too. Many of the tips and tricks for using less water carry over well into residential areas too, so employees who are provided with education on conserving water at work can take these tips home and use them there, too, in order to save their own money as well. You might want to consider putting up posters around the office to educate employees on various ideas to save water, or providing a training session where employees can get together and discuss their ideas.
Water can easily become a huge monthly expense for a business, but the good news is that there are plenty of things that you can do to drive that cost down.