Nursing homes and senior care facilities are high electricity consumers, resulting in larger monthly bills. These facilities operate around the clock, necessitating constant lighting, maintaining comfortable temperatures for residents, and using electricity for numerous medical and other purposes.
Lighting, space heating, cooling, and ventilation are some of the most significant electricity users in nursing homes. Still, there are also office equipment, refrigeration, medical equipment, cooking, and water heating needs. However, limiting the usage of temperature controls is not an excellent way to lower costs, considering that the elderly are more vulnerable to temperature-related health concerns.
There are other ways to lower a nursing home’s monthly electric bills. By understanding the average medical facility’s electric bill and implementing routine energy audits, facility administrators can help ensure that their residents remain comfortable without breaking the bank.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (E.I.A.) reports that nursing homes and senior care centers use around 17.4 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per square foot annually, costing about $74,000 annually for a 25,000-square-foot facility. However, the cost may vary depending on the facility’s location, type of care offered, and size, making it challenging to determine a precise average.
Types of Nursing Home & Senior Care Facilities Energy Audits
Two main types of audits can help lower nursing home electric bills – energy billing audits and energy consumption audits. While minimizing energy consumption has many other benefits beyond saving money, it often requires capital expenditure to make a significant change. On the other hand, nursing home energy billing audits can be run risk-free and are, therefore, a desirable option for financial decision-makers of nursing homes and senior care facilities.
Nursing Home & Senior Care Facilities Energy Bill Audit
With an energy billing audit, an expert third-party like Tenurgy examines invoices and contracts to find savings and refunds for the senior care facility. Invoices are often filled with errors, overcharges, and other areas prime for savings that the average person may need to recognize. In addition, they check whether the energy tariffs are correct and provided at the lowest possible cost.
Tenurgy’s team of experts compares the current rates with other similar senior care providers to ensure your rates are consistent with the industry standards. They provide valuable nationwide pricing data that customers may need to access. The team ensures that each invoice is adequately analyzed and energy credits are received. Tenurgy has vital knowledge of tariffs and can provide the business with the options that give the best rates possible, helping the facility lower the average nursing home electric bill.
While lowering consumption seems like the most obvious way to lower electric bills, the options for implementing the changes recommended can be costly. Implementing new technology to reduce consumption may require a lot of upfront capital for nursing homes and senior care facilities. A billing audit offers a more affordable way to save money for businesses with a limited budget for these pricey changes.
Benefits of an Energy Audit
Nursing homes and senior care centers can benefit from energy billing audits that can help them save money on monthly electric bills. These audits can significantly affect the nursing home’s financial health by identifying errors, overcharges, and billing mistakes and negotiating better rates and energy tariffs. By working with expert third-party companies like Tenurgy, nursing home administrators can ensure that their facilities remain comfortable for their residents without overspending on electricity. Marwood Manor, a nursing home, had a risk-free Tenurgy audit, saved over $100,000, and was issued $15,000 in refunds.
Reduce Your Nursing Home’s Energy Bill Today
Operating a nursing home or senior care facility requires significant energy usage, given the number of residents, staff presence, and the need for proper lighting and medical equipment to run around the clock. As a result, high energy bills are an unavoidable business expense.
Nevertheless, there are ways to lower the average monthly electric bill for a nursing home. While a consumption-based energy audit can help pinpoint areas to reduce usage, it can be expensive. Conversely, an energy billing audit can help find a lot of savings without high upfront costs. Working with a team of experts can enable your nursing home or senior care facility to identify errors, overcharges, and other opportunities to save on your monthly statements.
Ready to bring down your average electric bill? Schedule a free audit with Tenurgy today and let our team of experts help you optimize your utility bills and maximize revenue for your business!