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Seven Ways Small Businesses Can Save this Summer

From the coffee shop on the corner to the family-owned art supply store in town, small businesses are at the heart of many communities across our service area. As COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift, we want to reassure our small business customers that we are here to support you as these difficult times continue. We’ve extended our policies to support our customers, including suspending service disconnections, waiving new late fees and reconnecting customers who were previously disconnected. These policies will now be in place until at least July 1.

And as our small businesses start to reopen their doors and return to providing their services and products to our communities, we want to provide important energy saving tips that every small business should know to help save money and energy through the summer.

  1. Change your filter – Equipment that is working optimally uses less energy. Regularly check the air filter of your air conditioner. A clean air filter improves system efficiency, which should lead to energy savings.
  2. Check your layout – Your business layout can make an impact on the temperature of your space and how hard your air conditioner is working to keep the space cool. Make sure lamps, televisions or other heat sources are away from the thermostat. Heat from these sources may cause the air conditioner to run longer than it should. Also, remove furniture and other obstacles blocking ducts and fans, enabling cool air to circulate freely. If your employees are currently working remotely, this is a great chance to change your layout and create a more energy efficient space.
  3. Avoid vampire energy – Also known as standby energy, vampire energy drains energy from your outlets when devices are not in use but still plugged in, increasing your energy usage. Make sure to unplug items such as coffee pots, phone chargers and computers when not in use. Power strips can make this an easy task at the end of the day.
  4. Program your thermostat – There is no need to be cooling your business as low during the summer when customers or employees are not there. Even if your team’s hours vary, using programmable or smart thermostats to manage the temperature during “off” hours can make a big difference. If your hours have changed or employees are working remotely, make sure to update your thermostat accordingly.
  5. Use energy efficient light bulbs – Simply switching out incandescent light bulbs for CFL or LED is a low cost and quick was to reduce electricity use.
  6. Think outside the building – Strategically planting trees provides shade on hot summer days and can help keep your business comfortable while reducing your cooling costs.
  7. Use energy efficient appliances – Before you buy or lease office electronics, check to see if they are ENERGYSTAR-rated. An ENERGYSTAR-rated appliance has been evaluated and deemed energy-efficient, which can save you money and help you manage your small business energy costs, especially in the long run.

Visit My Account for more customized tips based on your business or visit pepco.com/waystosave for more energy saving resources. We are committed to helping all our customers save money and energy as we continue to power on this summer.