Could data help you take control of your organisation’s energy costs?

Many organisations now have better access to their energy data than ever before, due to P272 and energy reporting requirements such as SECR and ESOS. But how can they use this data to reduce their energy bills?

In October 2018, the Government, Ofgem and Innovate UK demonstrated their belief that energy data will be key to optimising our energy system when they launched a new Energy Data Taskforce. The taskforce has been charged with developing a strategy to utilise data to reduce system costs and increase productivity across the sector, and create value for consumers.

In a similar way, individual businesses can also use data to optimise their own energy strategies. Having such a detailed insight into their energy consumption can be extremely useful for businesses looking to bring down their energy costs, but such a wealth of data can also be so daunting to tackle that energy managers don’t know where to start.

That’s where energy management software can be invaluable, as it simplifies the process of analysing and utilising the vast amount of energy data they collect and turn it into actionable insight. Here are some of the ways that energy management software could benefit your business:

Get to grips with your energy usage

Getting a clear picture of your energy usage can be difficult, particularly if you’re working within an organisation with a large and/or complex site portfolio. This is where energy management software can make your job much easier, as rather than poring over hundreds of spreadsheets for each site, you can see all of your data in one place.

With an at-a-glance view of your energy profile, you should find it easier to gain an understanding of your typical usage. Having all of your data together should also make it easier to see how your consumption varies – from ranking your sites by performance, to comparing sites with targets or benchmarks, you can gain some real insight into where you’re doing well, and where your efficiency could be improved.

The right software will also enable you to set up alarms and tolerance checks, so you’re alerted to any consumption issues or equipment faults early and can act swiftly to resolve them. This way, you can have peace of mind that everything is running efficiently.

Reduce admin time

The right software can also reduce the admin time involved in your operational and financial processes. If you’re responsible for ensuring you have a Display Energy Certificate (DEC) for your building, for example, producing the required annual certificates and Advisory Reports based on your actual amount of metered energy used annually can be a time-consuming operation. Energy management can cut the time you spend gathering data for this by providing you with an up-to-date database of your usage.

You can also ensure accuracy in your financial and billing processes with energy management software. This can identify discrepancies and consumption anomalies within your utility invoices, so you can investigate potential erroneous charges.

Simplify compliance

Many organisations are now required to comply with energy reporting schemes, such as ESOS and the new Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) framework, which came into force in April 2019.

Both of these schemes require businesses to report on their energy consumption, so having software that routinely monitors your energy usage can prevent an admin headache. If your software allows you to extract annual reports and maintain easily auditable records that are correctly formatted for evidence packs, you can reduce the time and resources you dedicate to compliance.

Easier energy management

If you’re one of the many energy managers facing wider remits and increasingly heavy workloads, energy management software could help you to reduce the time you spend on data processing and admin so that you’re free to focus on taking action.

SystemsLink is wholly owned by Inspired Energy plc and is the UK’s most sophisticated energy monitoring and targeting software. SystemsLink processes 1.5m+ invoices a year and many businesses are already utilising it to track utilities across their portfolio, create clear profiles and identify anomalies and wastage. It also has several handy features, such as the ability to set up alarms and tolerance checks to alert you to inefficiencies or equipment faults, that are designed to help you concentrate on taking action.

If you’re interested in how we can help your organisation to make the most of its energy data, call us today on 01772 689 250.