How Gas Appliances Can Save Your Business Money

The effects of load shedding can cripple your business and staying off the grid is essential these days. For any business to thrive, using efficient energy resources is key to business growth and a brighter future. In this article, we will explore how gas appliances can benefit businesses in the miscellaneous sector and look at why natural gas is a popular energy solution for businesses today. We will also explore ways to improve gas efficiency in your business.

What is natural gas and how is it beneficial for your business?

Natural gas is a type of gas that is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, but commonly including a small percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or helium. Natural gas is mainly used as an energy source for heating, electricity and transport. In simple terms, it heats our homes, powers our gas appliances, generates electricity and can even fuel vehicles. Natural gas is a common energy solution for businesses globally due to its efficiency and reliability. 

Why use natural gas for your business

• Convenient and reliable: using natural gas provides a comfortable and evenly distributed heat. With natural gas, you only pay for the gas you use, serving as a highly reliant source for your business. This will enable your businesses to continue operating during power cuts and prevent any disturbances that will affect the productivity for your employees.
• Affordable: natural gas essentially costs less than electricity and maintenance costs are also low. This will guarantee a continued lifespan of your appliances.
• Contribute to a green environment: natural gas known as the cleanest-burning fossil fuel available. One of the key aspects is that it uses less fuel to achieve the same level of heating for your business and makes appliances up to 98% efficient. 

Gas appliances for key businesses in the miscellaneous sector 

Food

According to the 2024 energy stats, businesses in the food industry around the world use gas appliances the most. In a business like a restaurant or any food and beverage outlet, it’s best to have gas appliances like a gas fridge or commercial stove that consists of burners and base that can also work on electricity, gas or induction. In this way, your business can have a backup during power cuts while saving on costs. Let’s look at the advantages of having commercial stoves in the food industry.

Benefits of gas commercial stoves

• Saves a lot of energy: the key benefit of using any gas stove is that it saves energy. A gas variant takes less time in heating up and cooling down when compared with an electric stove. For example, with using a gas stove the mechanics dictate that heating begins as soon as you turn on the gas, and food preparation stops the moment the knob is turned off. 
• Helps you in preparing food quicker: the food industry requires a lot of speed and precision when preparing meals to stay in demand. In a restaurant, the staff can’t afford to delay the preparations as the cuisines have to be prepared at very short notice and served hot. This is where commercial gas stoves come in handy as they help you prepare the delicacies in a significantly faster way, making them the best choice in any commercial kitchen. 
• No need for electricity: In the mist of loadshedding woes, having a gas stove in a commercial kitchen is essential to keep the business running. Having a gas stove is the best option for your business, giving you an advantage over competitors. 

Retail

Energy efficiency is a crucial aspect for businesses in the retail industry that looking to reduce costs, minimise environmental impact, and enhance sustainability practices. One significant way retail stores can achieve energy efficiency is by utilising energy-efficient appliances. While gas appliances can also benefit businesses in retail, discover some of the factors that can affect energy consumption. 

Factors that affect retail store energy consumption

1. The types of products being sold: the type of goods you carry will affect your energy usage. For example, if you are selling clothes, you are likely using energy all day mostly for lighting purposes that can drive up energy usage considerably. You might want to consider getting an inverter to run your lights and reduce energy costs. Or if you sell products that need a refrigerator, you might want to invest in a gas electric freezer instead. 
2. Operating hours: typically the more your store is open, the more energy it will consume. So it’s essential to always find alternative ways to save energy costs by substituting your electric appliances to gas.
3. Location and climate: aircons are a necessity in the retail industry especially if your store is in a very hot or humid location. This might tend to draw a lot of power and contribute to a high electricity bill. To avoid this, you can get for example an inverter to run the aircon and help you save costs. 

A guide to improve gas efficiency for your business appliances

1. Use data to identify gas efficiency opportunities: it’s important to understand your current site-specific processes and gas usage. One way you can do this is to consult with an energy partner that can help your business monitor and interpret your gas usage data with solutions. 
2. Evaluate and upgrade your gas equipment: always assess your existing gas appliances and perform regular maintenance to determine their baseline performance and whether they meet industry standards. You can also consider upgrading your gas infrastructure to ensure that your equipment is not consuming more gas than necessary due to faults caused by age. By investing in this aspect, you can maintain maximum efficiency on your gas appliances.
3. Implement steam recovery initiatives: with these initiatives you can reduce your gas spend and lower emissions. Implementing a steam recovery initiative will focus on capturing and reusing the otherwise-wasted heat energy from steam generated during operational processes. This will eventually lower your gas consumption and the spend associated with gas wastage.
4. Consider alternative energy sources: if you want to take your gas efficiency optimisation a step further, you could consider how alternative energy sources, such as hydrogen or electricity, could be incorporated into your day-to-day operational processes. For example, electrifying your gas appliances allows you to utilise renewable energy sources with traditionally gas-powered equipment. This will give you the flexibility to use an energy source that is most cost-effective at the time.

Looking for innovative and cost-effective ways to run your business? Gas appliances are a trusted choice for many businesses today because they deliver exceptional performance, save you money on electricity bills and can even serve as a more environmentally friendly option. If you’re a business owner with a focus on efficiency and sustainability, gas appliances can be a perfect fit for you. Visit Gas & Solar today to explore affordable gas appliance options for your business needs.