Energy saving tips for businesses

CALIFORNIA, KENTUCKY - Amidst skyrocketing fuel prices and a weakening economy, more and more business owners and facility managers find themselves reducing budgets any way they can.

Topping the long list of concerns, energy reduction has been a red hot priority for manufacturing, industrial and retail businesses alike. Northern Kentucky Electric Service president Mike Wissman has released a top five list of ways companies can reduce their energy consumption.

Wissman regards the top five things that business can do in order to significantly reduce bills and penalty charges to be:

• Use night setback thermometers;

• Correct power factor problems;

• Install modern, high efficiency heating and cooling equipment;

• Replace metal halide fixtures with energy efficient fluorescent lighting;

• Turn off lights and computers at night.

"Improving energy efficiency can sometimes be as simple as making a few small behavioral changes," NKES president Mike Wissman said. "Many people don't realize that utility companies penalize businesses for excessive energy waste. It can be on the utility bill month after month in black and white and still go completely unnoticed."

Wissman added that it's also in the best interest of utility companies to help their clients become more energy efficient, as it is more cost effective on their end to reduce consumption rather than build new power stations.

To further help companies improve efficiency, NKES has expanded its service offerings to include 'NKEco'- a program dedicated to helping manufacturing and industrial facilities reduce their energy and electricity load. As part of the program, custom facility energy audits are performed.