Rising energy bills are crippling care home budgets. Here are some focal points to ease the pressure:
1) Heating
Turning the heating down by 1°C can save around 8% on bills without residents noticing. Make sure radiator valves work properly. Checking for bleeding air from radiators takes minutes but improves efficiency instantly. Insulate hot water pipes with foam tubes from any DIY store. They cost pennies but can save you pounds.
2) Lighting
Replace old bulbs with LEDs as they fail. No need to change every bulb at once. LEDs use 80% less energy and last years longer. Consider using sensors in corridors and storage areas to stop lights burning unnecessarily.
3) Kitchen savings
Only boil water you need. Full kettles for one cup of tea waste energy repeatedly. Keep fridge seals clean. Dirty seals leak cold air. Defrost freezers regularly. Ice build-up makes freezers work harder.
4) Simple behaviour changes
Close doors between heated and unheated areas. Train night staff to turn off equipment not needed overnight. Switch off computers and TVs properly, not standby mode.
5) Free improvements
Check your energy tariff – many care homes are on expensive default rates. Switching takes an hour online. Read meters monthly to spot unusual spikes before huge bills arrive.
Most of these will reduce your energy bills within weeks. Don’t do them all at once – you still have a care home to run!