Business electric bills can quickly become exorbitant if they are not properly managed. Knowing the facts about all the many rate plans offered is essential before signing a contract. It is also just as important to have the best equipment and to use it correctly to avoid wasting electricity.

One way to reduce your business cost is to utilize your existing human resources. Someone who works for you can be assigned the task of researching the best possible business power rates online. He or she can also talk to the power companies when necessary to weigh the pros and cons of various plan options.

You can also have a competition among all of your employees and offer a reward to the individual who does the best research and makes the best possible recommendation for your organization.

After this, you need to institute a company energy policy. The cost of your business electric bill depends greatly on how responsibly you use the energy you are paying for.

A great deal of money is wasted by misuse of lighting, computers, and appliances in company break rooms. All of this can change in a day by requiring a few basic actions that will conserve power.

Begin by having employees turn off the lights in restrooms and break rooms when they leave. There is no reason to light these rooms when no one is in them. Secondly, no one in your office should be wasting your money on screen savers that do nothing to save a screen. Have employees turn off their systems and all peripherals during extended breaks, lunch, and definitely when they go home.

It is also wise to turn off the lights in the office when everyone goes home at night. Some building managers may want a certain number of lights in the window for security purposes. Comply with this if so required, but otherwise, turn off your lights when everyone goes home.

You can enforce your business electric policy by empowering your operations manager, office manager, or some other trusted employee to hold everyone accountable to this policy. You as the owner, however, have to set the ultimate example.

Finally, invest a reasonable amount of your purchasing budget toward upgrading when appropriate. Invest in flat panel, Energy Star rated monitors rather than new CRTs.

When you invest in new lighting, make sure that you get the most energy efficient fixtures and bulbs. Your business electric usage depends greatly on what types of devices you are using.

This also applies to special equipment in your conference room and all appliances in the break room. Get the most energy saving models as time and money permit.

In the meantime, even if you cannot make all these purchases at once, invest in smart power strips that will ensure that no device draws electricity from the wall when it is in idle mode.

By taking these simple steps, the unpredictable nature of business electric costs can be quickly brought under control. This will go a long way toward minimizing overhead and maximizing profits.

If you decide to switch energy companies see if there is deregulation in your state. Shopping for electric prices