Four ways a smart meter can help your law firm this winter

In October 2021, the Law Society published its climate change resolution, which aims to encourage legal professionals to adopt develop a climate conscious approach to their practices.

However, there is one further small step that practices can take to help control energy usage and become more sustainable.

Smart meters aim to make business energy easier, fairer and more transparent. We’ve compiled a list of some of the ways a smart meter could help your practice.

1. Accurate bills

When you’re focused on keeping a business running smoothly, knowing that your practice only pays for the energy it uses can be a welcome relief.

As the cost of living bites and cost margins are squeezed, our data reveals that:

• three-quarters of small business owners have had to pass on rising costs to customers
• 86% are trying to minimise their overheads to reduce further increases

Smart meters can be an important weapon for law firm managers hoping to avoid having to pass on additional costs to clients.

One third of small business owners we questioned are attempting to reduce overheads by monitoring energy bills more intently.

At this time of uncertainty, when every penny counts, using a smart meter can help practices to forecast cashflow more accurately.

2. Quick and easy installation

Practices may delay making the switch to a smart meter, due to concerns about the inconvenience caused during the installation process.

In reality, fitting takes around two hours and the electricity or gas supply is only turned off for a short while to complete the installation. Contact your supplier to help you find a convenient time for this.

3. Better control over energy usage within your practice

It’s a common perception that an organisation can do very little to reduce its energy usage.

Many believe the amount of energy being used is necessary to run their business effectively. However, this is not necessarily the case.

Some quick wins can help reduce energy usage that you can adopt immediately include:

• turning off appliances when not in use
• printing fewer documents
• cutting down on business travel
• downsizing on office space if a practice has adopted hybrid working

Another option is ensuring your internal communication encourages colleagues to reduce energy usage by switching off devices and changing their individual behaviours.

4. Reduce your firm’s carbon footprint

As well as helping individual businesses, the data generated by smart meters also supports the entire UK energy network.

Demand for electricity across the country is forecast to double by 2050, and a greater adoption of smart meters by businesses as well as homes will make it easier for the government and energy suppliers to integrate renewables into the system.