SUMMER heatwaves can cause energy bills of businesses to skyrocket and impact profits, as when temperatures rise air conditioning (AC) systems work overtime to cool the space.

Fortunately, there are measures businesses can take to protect their bottom line, without sacrificing employee or customer comfort.

Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) Customer Service Area Manager for the Eastern Region Ruthlyn Johnson offers practical advice to lower commercial electricity costs this summer, beginning with the monitoring of energy usage.

Johnson told JIS News that commercial customers of JPS should first request a utility audit or energy assessment to determine average usage.

“That’s critical. How much electricity are you using? Because it’s the kilowatt hours that are going to determine how much you pay. Let’s say you’re a 300-kilowatt-hour user on average, you are going to try and maintain that range even though it’s summertime because you are used to paying bills that match that amount of kilowatt hours,” she explained.

She said businesses can monitor and manage their energy consumption using smart meters.

“Smart meters are wonderful for giving you the power and control over your consumption. When you have a smart meter it allows you to connect to the grid in terms of you being able to see how much you’re using. And the beautiful thing about it is that you’re able to see your consumption monthly, weekly, daily, right down to hourly — and that in itself gives persons the power of control,” she said.

Businesses can also track peaks. Look at your utility bill to see when your power usage peaks. You can alter operations to avoid these expensive time periods.

The customer care manager advises businesses to work actively to maintain consumption at a particular level. She said businesses must ensure that any actions in their operations maintain the average energy consumption.

“You have to make sure that you take actions to keep the consumption within that range that you’re used to. You have to understand that there’s some big questions that you need to ask yourself. ‘Do I really need to use this particular equipment?’ ‘Can I utilise natural light instead of turning on a piece of machinery?’ ‘Can I use heat from the sun to get the job done?’ ‘Can I use natural breeze to get the job done?’ Or, ‘Can I get manpower to carry out this actual task as against using a particular piece of equipment?’ Because once the equipment goes on the grid it is going to consume electricity and you’re going to have to pay for it,” she explained.

Johnson emphasised that machinery must be properly maintained for optimal performance.

“Persons don’t tend to recognise the value of maintaining your equipment. If you don’t maintain your equipment it’s usually not operating at optimum. It means that it may be pulling more power than it needs to or it’s just not operating properly — and that in itself can result in more electricity being consumed. Or the way it’s [equipment] consuming it [energy] is not efficient enough… you need to make sure that you properly maintain your equipment,” she advised.

She said JPS is encouraging all its customers — commercial and residential — to download the My JPS mobile app to track energy consumption. With the use of the app customers can budget for their monthly energy bills.

“It shows you how much you’re actually using — and that is the key way that you can then take responsibility for your consumption because you’re able to look and see how much you use. In this way, you are able to set a budget,” she noted.

Other factors that spike electricity consumption are electronics. These consume power even when turned off. It is advised that coffee makers, backup printers, and chargers are unplugged overnight to prevent vampire draw.

Johnson said it is especially important that air conditioning units are serviced regularly in anticipation of increased use in hotter temperatures.

“You don’t want them to be filled with dust, and lint, and all of those things that are pulling more power than they should and then causing you to spend more on electricity,” she said.

Johnson said doors and windows should be properly sealed and remain closed when the AC is in use, for optimal performance.

She noted also that air conditioning units should be kept between 24 to 25 degrees for optimal cooling, as well as to maintain consumption at a manageable level.

“The advice that I have for businesses when it comes to ACs is make sure that you keep your [employees] and customers cool, but not freezing…It is recommended that AC units should be turned basically to 24 or 25 degrees. Below that number is colder, and the colder it is, is the more power you are pulling from the grid,” she explained.

For residential purposes, when returning home after a long day householders are advised to open windows, curtains and doors and use fans where possible to ventilate spaces prior to turning on the AC unit. She also warned against running the AC unit continuously all night, as this will drive up electricity costs.

Johnson recommended that JPS customers install inverter air conditioning systems, use programmable thermostats, install solar water heaters, replace lighting with LED bulbs, and switch off or unplug appliances when not in use.

Customers should also ensure all seals on heating and electrical appliances are in good working order, and replace aged appliances that do not utilise electricity efficiently.

“What we want them to do is to start thinking seriously about how they can make a difference in terms of how they consume electricity,” she said.

She noted that the refrigerator can account for significant consumption costs, depending on how it is used.

“Once you start opening the door and letting warm air into the chamber of the refrigerator, then that’s when you actually start consuming even more electricity. And so, you need to be very organised and very strategic about how you manage your refrigerator. You really should think about what you want from your refrigerator before you go in,” she said.

Ensure the seals of the refrigerator are intact, and conduct servicing once per year. The refrigerator should not be placed directly beside the stove and should be pulled six inches from the wall for optimal performance.

“We need to take certain measures in order to ensure that as the heat rises, our bills don’t also rise. Of course, this requires consciousness, it requires us to be mindful of what we do. It’s not just a one-day activity. You need to make it habitual so that you actually see the reflection on your bill in terms of no change,” Johnson said.

— JIS News