Is Your Business Ready to Reopen?
As businesses reopen, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.
The government has announced its ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown which sees us approaching the end of limited social contact by 21 June. It’s excellent news for businesses who reopen their doors after more than a year of restrictions.
The Latest Government Guidance
The government has indicated two dates of interest to business owners. They’re milestones in the ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown.
– 12 April 2021: All non-essential shops, hair and nail salons, theme parks, zoos, outdoor hospitality, and holiday and camping facilities are allowed to reopen.
– 17 May 2021: Indoor hospitality, indoor sports facilities and outdoor entertainment are allowed to reopen. Sports stadiums are also able to reopen to a maximum of 10,000 spectators.
Despite the confirmed reopening dates, there are still some restrictions which must be adhered to. Some restrictions are also specific to certain sectors, which include:
1) Salons and hairdressers (close contact)
2) Gym and leisure facilities
3) Retail stores
4) Catering and hospitality services
5) Construction and outdoor work
6) Factories, plants and warehouses
What to Consider When Reopening
Air Quality Control and Monitoring
BESA (Building Engineering Service Association) recently released guidance on COVID-19 Measures on Air Quality Control. Some key points were:
– Air recirculation in buildings should be turned off. Currently, around 90% of air is recirculated within a building with only 10% of fresh air added in. The new guidance suggests that systems must bring in 100% fresh air. This means that your HVAC systems will be running at a much higher level than normal.
– Systems should only run at 100% constantly or be turned off altogether. This means that HVACs will be running at a far greater capacity than they would normally run.
Even if the building feels cold, it’s important to ensure a constant supply of fresh air. The priority is to vent any potential virus within the building.
It will, however, mean your systems are working harder for longer periods of time, increasing your energy costs as your demand increases.
Solutions to BESA Guidelines
Northern Gas and Power offer comprehensive building monitoring solutions for facilities management, including the analysis of air quality, flow and usage. With the new guidance around COVID-19, it’s especially important to ensure the highest levels of air quality.
Understanding your air quality will allow you to make important decisions regarding your energy output. Energy consumption used to create right air quality standards impacts heavily on consumption and therefore costs.
Reduce Business Overheads
As businesses reopen, they will be looking at reducing their overheads as they reopen over the coming months. It means it’s the perfect time to look into one of your biggest expenses: your business energy.
Switching business energy at the right time is known to lead to cost savings. That’s something we’re able to help with, as the UK’s largest energy consultancy.
Alternatively, our sister company, BusinessEnergyQuotes.com is an online business energy pricing platform which is able to provide online comparisons within seconds, using just a business postcode.
Northern Gas and Power also have a large number of business solutions designed to help reduce cost and carbon consumption. We can help mitigate the challenges of reopening facilities and offer expert guidance and advice on how you should proceed with your utilities.
To find out more about how we support you, visit: https://ngpltd.co.uk/our-services/