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Although most businesses use between 15,000 and 25,000 kWh of energy a year, the average usage and cost of energy is different depending on the size of the business and how it uses energy. In short…
All businesses have different energy demands – even if two businesses seem identical on the face of things. They’ll operate from different premises, which will have different heating, lighting, and energy efficiency systems in place, all of which can affect the amount of energy used.
Even just having different opening times and employees with different energy usage habits can all have an impact on energy usage.
Energy usage is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). To give you an idea of how much electricity your business should be using, here are the average business electric consumption figures by business size and demand.
| Business Size | Low-end usage (kWh) | High-end usage (kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| Micro Business | 5,000 | 15,000 |
| Small business | 15,000 | 25,000 |
| Medium business | 30,000 | 50,000 |
If your business uses more than 100,000 kWh of electricity a year, suppliers will class you as a large business and handle your supply differently, so it’s important as an SMEs to understand your energy consumption.
As well as electricity usage, small and medium businesses should make time to review their gas consumption. Knowing how much energy other equivalent sized businesses use, is a good way to understand if your business is using too much.
As with business electricity, your business gas usage will vary depending upon the size of your business and how you power it. The table below shows the average business gas usage, ordered by business size.
| Business Size | Average gas usage (kWh per year) |
|---|---|
| Micro Business | 10,000 |
| Small business | 25,000 |
| Medium business | 45,000 |
At RPM Utilities, we regularly provide support and guidance to a range of SMEs on their energy consumption providing unbiased advice and support.
Find out how our services at RPM Consultants can help and support your organisation.
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