Be energy smart to control your business electricity costs. Start by understanding the electricity demand in your business.

Using your smart meter data

Being energy smart begins with understanding how and when your business uses electricity. Your smart meter data can help with this. Over time, it gives a good view of your business's overall and seasonal trends.

Use your free ESB Networks account to view and download your smart meter data.

Patterns of electricity demand

The most useful step is to spot energy patterns and identify what uses the most energy. You'll want to start by measuring your baseload - the minimum level of electricity your business needs to keep essential items running. From there, you can find what's using more energy than needed.

An energy audit can help to establish how your business uses energy. SEAI’s Support Scheme for Energy Audits (SSEA) offers SMEs a voucher towards the cost of a high quality energy audit.

In general, electricity demand corresponds to business activity. Businesses with core opening hours typically see electricity demand concentrated during these hours.

Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency means using less energy to do the same task. Using less electricity saves money and reduces your carbon footprint. The average SME can achieve a 10% saving with little or no capital cost.

Improving your largest energy users brings the largest savings. Smart meter data helps you accurately monitor your progress as you improve efficiency. Deviations from expected demand patterns are always worth investigating for potential savings.

See our guide for more advice to starting an energy efficiency journey.

Building fabric

If you have exhausted all the low hanging fruit with energy efficiency, why stop there? Improvements in the building fabric of your premises can make a big difference.

If you own the building, financial supports are available to upgrade your premises with renewable energy systems and energy saving equipment. If you lease the building, you might need to have a conversation with your landlord first.

Grants and financial supports

Plan for the future

If you're invested in energy improvements, explore your options for business upgrade grants and free energy training.

Take full advantage of Time of Use tariffs with smart energy solutions. Technologies are available that automatically make smart decisions on when to use electricity, while still doing what's needed.

Smart energy technologies

Get in contact

For any smart networks queries, contact smartnetworks@seai.ie.