Energy consultants: heroes for your business and the environment

Making critical decisions for your business and deciding where to invest your money to improve your bottom line can take, well… a lot of energy. It may feel easier to take the path of least resistance and just continue with the same energy usage approach you’ve always used. For most companies, that means simply paying a monthly bill in whatever amount shows up on the statement.

While this keeps the lights on and your business operating, it can leave you wondering if there are other options. Could you reduce your energy bill? Is it possible to avoid unexpected increases? Are there more environmentally friendly ways to power your facility?

An energy consultant can rescue you from that indecision and help lower expenses while also decreasing your negative impact on the environment. Let’s look at what an energy consultant does and why working with one might be just what your business and our planet need.

What is an energy consultant?

You are an expert in your own business. Your time is best spent focusing on what you know. When it comes to lowering energy bills, optimizing energy use, and reducing carbon footprint, you might not have enough time to learn about everything happening in the energy market today. And tomorrow, the situation will be different.

Like an insurance broker who recommends specific providers to meet your coverage needs but doesn’t actually insure your property, an energy consultant helps you understand the available options and determine which are best for you in the long run.

Energy consultants look at different programs, providers, and solutions and suggest the optimal strategy based on your operations and goals. As your needs evolve, they can ensure your energy decisions remain optimized. For example, if you’re managing several properties or facilities, consolidating billing can save you thousands of dollars every year, and an experienced energy consultant can do that for you.

Offerings in the energy market can be complex, quickly evolving, and challenging to understand. An energy consultant serves as the expert, continually educating themself on the energy market and keeping up with changing technology and market pricing, so you can focus on other aspects of your business that demand your attention.

What does an energy consultant do?

First, your energy consultant will get to know your business. Based on your specific needs, they provide an energy-use plan tailored to fit your company like a bespoke glass slipper, just for you. That way, you and your business can operate happily—and greenly!—ever after.

After getting to know your business and your needs, an energy consultant will create a customized plan to shift your business to an optimal energy strategy. As your business grows and energy solutions evolve, they can help you update the plan to keep everything optimized. What saves you the most today may not be what saves you the most next year as your operations grow and change. As new technology disrupts energy markets in the future, your optimal solutions may be different.

Because an energy consultant’s entire job revolves around keeping abreast of natural gas and power rates, technologies, and market regulations, they always have the most current information. That allows them to stay on top of the things that will save you the most time and money and present sustainable options you may not have considered. An energy consultant can be your knight-in-shining-armor, protecting you from bad decisions or choices that may result in increasing energy spending or have unnecessarily negative environmental impacts.

They don’t just help you find a lower rate for the same amount of energy. Energy consultants look at ways your business can use less energy or make other changes that push your costs down, as well as help you make environmentally sound choices.

Energy consultants also manage your energy accounts and audit utility bills. While the energy providers certainly aren’t villains, they do make mistakes, and if not caught, those mistakes can cost you.

Your energy consultant can offer additional resources of which you may not otherwise be aware, and help find government programs that incentivize green energy or decreased energy consumption.

You probably spend little time thinking about your energy usage beyond the time it takes to pay your bills. An energy consultant’s role is to think about your energy use and the energy markets so you don’t have to. All in all, working with a subject-matter expert helps you use less, pay less, and waste less.

Who needs an energy consultant?

If your business uses energy, working with an energy consultant can bring a lot of value. The more energy you consume, the more room there is for changes that reduce the usage and bring the money back to your business.

For example, if your business operates in different energy markets or relies on equipment that consumes a great deal of energy, you would benefit greatly from the expertise of an energy consultant.

It is common for businesses to use consultants for everything from creating a positive culture to making sure work stations are set up ergonomically. As a busy professional with a dozen items on your daily to-do list, you want to use your time and expertise most efficiently. That’s why outsourcing energy management is the best solution for you.

Your energy consultant will learn about your needs and use their market knowledge to reduce your overall energy usage, creating savings you will see month after month. They can also help you find ways to use more sustainable, green energy, which helps you feel better every time you turn on your office lights or power up your machinery.

If you are seeking to run your operations in a more ecologically friendly way, an energy consultant can help as well. They will provide valuable insights into ways to minimize the environmental impact of your company, from switching to green energy option provided by your current energy supplier to purchasing Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) and carbon offsets.

An energy consultant can become a trusted partner that will help your business save money, run more smoothly, and be more eco-friendly. It’s a win-win-win that brings results from day one. Let an energy consultant be the hero you didn’t know your business needed.