Government guidance is now encouraging businesses to move work back into their office spaces, instead of working remotely. As people make their way back to their usual work environments, there are several things to consider, such as the boiler, which may not have been serviced, or even operational, for months.
In addition, the last few months have been very cold, averaging at around 4°C with frequent extreme weather conditions.
Keeping costs down
For example, Storm Eunice and Franklin, which brought strong, damaging winds and heavy downpours of rain in parts of the UK, the likes of which may have caused major damage to heating systems.
Preserving energy and keeping costs down are essential components of budget management
As the cold temperatures increase strain on these systems, many businesses could soon experience damaging breakdowns and hefty bills if equipment needs replacing, as well as ongoing complications if these office spaces are not operating at full efficiency.
Preserving energy and keeping costs down are essential components of budget management and the journey towards net carbon zero. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at top tips on how energy managers can maintain their heating systems following these colder winter months.
Poor weather conditions
Have the office heating checked and serviced - If businesses have recently moved operations back into the workplace, it’s critical to have the boiler checked. Inactivity, combined with continued poor weather conditions, could have caused any number of faults, or reduce the chance that the heating is running as efficiently as it should be.
Carrying out a boiler health check is the best way to determine how fit for purpose the system is, and this service can be performed easily by a qualified, gas-safe engineer. Signs that the boiler needs servicing can include a noticeable, sharp drop in temperature, unusual noises, or an unexpected rise in the heating bills.
These are all signs that the heating has developed a fault, or that it is simply not working as effectively and efficiently as possible. Having it checked can therefore save time and money by avoiding having to repair a broken-down boiler, and it can give peace of mind that the facility is still a suitable and safe operating environment.
Safe operating environment
After having a ‘health check’ or service, it should be obvious how well a boiler is doing
Update or replace old boilers when possible - Sometimes when a boiler is old, outdated or simply unfit for use, the only realistic option is to update it with new, more efficient parts, or simply replace it altogether. After having a ‘health check’ or service, it should be obvious how well a boiler is doing and if it’s time for a change.
While it’s true that replacing boilers can be a costly and time-consuming job, in the long run, it can be more cost-effective and can prevent several potential unexpected charges, especially if there have been consistent and frequent repairs to existing systems.
Process covering situations
Colder months are when a boiler is most at risk of failure or damage, since it’s the time of year when it’s used the most and is often put back into service without even the most basic recommissioning, maintenance or safety checks. Therefore, it is better to have peace of mind that the heating system is up to date and working as it should be, not only from a cost perspective, but from a health and safety perspective too.
For the times when disaster does strike, it’s vital to have a plan in place
Contingency Planning - For the times when disaster does strike, it’s vital to have a plan in place. Having an agreed process covering situations where heating and hot water go offline should be considered a business-critical move. If there is no hot water, consider the COVID-19 risk, as employees or members of the public using the facility will not be able to wash their hands properly, as well as there being a general workplace wellbeing issue for on-site staff and visitors.
Identifying running water
Whether a business has an on-site engineer readily available or needs to call for one to come out and help, finding and fixing a fault can be time-consuming, disruptive, and costly.
While it may not be enforceable by law, welfare regulations do identify running water, both hot and cold, as a facility that should be provided, unless it is clearly unreasonable in terms of time, trouble, cost, and physical difficulty. Therefore, while the workday can still continue in the event of a boiler breakdown, it should still be considered a fundamental priority to get equipment up and running as soon as possible.
Conducting business effectively
Winter months, and the poor weather conditions they bring, can create a lot of issues, which can make it one of the most difficult times of the year to conduct business effectively.
Maintaining heating systems, checking they are appropriate for the required task, and carrying out precautionary checks and routine maintenance prior to potentially harmful weather, can help to reduce the risk should heating systems break down. Considering the effect the cold can have on boilers, having plans in place to deal with a crisis is an important and arguably business-critical move to ensure the business can run as usual.