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Out-of-Hours Energy Waste

Lights, heating or plant stay on when no one’s on site, and you only notice when the quarter lands. Tracking out-of-hours use is one of the quickest checks a small business can run.

Next step: If you use under about 50,000 kWh a year, you can get a quote in under 90 secs online — fast, no obligation. Bigger supply, half-hourly metering, or prefer chat? Use the contact page.

What is Baseload?

Baseload is power drawn 24/7 even when you’re shut. On some sites it is a large share of annual kWh; on others it’s modest—it depends what stays on. Pair this check with office energy, meter data and hospitality patterns if you run a café or kitchen.

Example: Cafe using 500 kWh/month (6,000 kWh/year) discovers 150 kWh/month baseload. That's 1,800 kWh annually at 26p = £468 wasted.

Common Culprits

• Fridges and freezers: Running 24/7 (legitimate baseload)
• Always-on computers/monitors: 100W × 24h × 365 = 876 kWh/year = £193
• Security lighting left on 24/7: Should be motion-sensor or timer
• Standby equipment: Coffee machines, card readers, printers
• Heating left on overnight: Should drop to 15°C or off

The Baseload Test

Step 1: Close business one evening. Turn off everything except essential refrigeration.

Step 2: Check smart meter next morning. Note kWh used overnight (e.g., 8 kWh over 12 hours).

Step 3: Calculate annual waste: 8 kWh × 365 nights = 2,920 kWh × 26p = £759/year

Step 4: Walk around and identify what's drawing power. Turn it off with timers or smart plugs.

Quick Fixes

• £15 timer plugs for coffee machines, printers, monitors
• Motion sensors for security/warehouse lighting (£20-40 each)
• Power strips with switches - turn off entire workstations at once
• Smart heating controllers - automated night setback

Related Guides

Your next step: When you are ready to compare business tariffs, get a business energy quote online (typically under a minute, no obligation). Larger supply, half-hourly metering, or you prefer messaging? See the contact page.