How To Make Your Veterinary Practice More Energy Efficient

How To Make Your Veterinary Practice More Energy Efficient

Your veterinary practice is an important part of your community. It’s also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in some cities. If you want to be a sustainable veterinarian, it’s time to start thinking about how you can reduce your environmental impact. 

The good news is that there are many green building strategies you can implement right now that will make your practice more energy efficient and save money on utilities for years to come! 

Switching Your Supplier

Switch to a supplier that offers a green tariff. If you aren’t already on a green tariff, don’t worry; it’s simple to switch suppliers and most will be happy to help you do so. They’ll also offer you advice about which tariffs are best suited for your business; learn more on this website.

Look at how much energy your vet can save each year by switching from one supplier to another; the average saving is around £2000 per year. This means that if you want to invest in more effective equipment, there’s no need because the savings will cover the cost of upgrading within 12 months.

What To Look For in a New Supplier

When choosing a supplier, you should look for:

• The lowest price.
• Good customer service.
• A good environmental record.
• A good reputation.
• Flexible tariffs that allow you to reduce your energy consumption when possible and increase it when needed (for example, charging at night when electricity is cheaper).
• A long contract length so that you don’t have to change suppliers every year or two as may happen with some fixed-cost contracts.

Choosing the Right Technology

The right kind of technology can help you save money and make your practice more energy efficient. For example, an automatic watering system for plants will reduce the amount that employees need to water them. 

Meanwhile, motion-activated lighting will cut down on electricity use at night when you don’t need as much light in a room as you do during daylight hours.

Good Habits Can Go a Long Way

Not turning off lights when you leave a room can expend unnecessary energy. Switch off any lights in unoccupied rooms or install motion sensors in hallways or rooms that are not used regularly.

To reduce your electricity costs, consider using halogen, compact fluorescent, or light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs instead. They provide light that lasts longer and uses less energy than your outdated incandescent bulbs.

Unplug appliances that are not being used—this includes computers and chargers! Even if gadgets and appliances are switched off, it still draws power when plugged in. Unplug idle electronics and devices, as well as any kitchen and office appliances.

Warm water requires energy. Don’t leave warm water taps running unnecessarily.

When washing the animals at your practice, turn off the tap immediately; this may seem like common sense but it’s often an easy thing to forget about until afterwards when we’ve wasted gallons upon gallons by letting taps run.

Repairs and Maintenance

With regular maintenance, you can keep your boiler and radiators in top shape. Check the condition of your boilers and radiators regularly to make sure they’re working properly.

Keep air vents clean so that they don’t become blocked or clogged with dust. This can cause problems such as a lack of heating or poor ventilation throughout your practice. 

Make sure the seals around windows and doors are secure so that heat doesn’t escape when they’re open—or worse, get into the room!

Use timers on electrical items (such as lights) to reduce energy use during off-hours; this will also help prevent accidental overheating from electrical fires due to faulty wiring.

Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference

You don’t need to overhaul your business to make a big difference. Small changes can be just as important and effective. The benefits of making these small changes include:

• Reduced energy costs
• Lower emissions and carbon footprint
• Better employee morale when everyone is involved in reducing energy consumption.

Final Thoughts

There are many benefits to making your veterinary practice more energy efficient. Not only will it help save costs, reduce the carbon footprint of the business and make you more sustainable.

The most important thing is to start with one small change and see how it goes. Then keep going until all your lights are off at night and everyone knows how important it is to turn them off when they leave the room.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this article… What are your thoughts?

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