BT-SA, a company specialising in IT infrastructure, has warned that the 9,4% Eskom tariff hike will have a huge effect on businesses, especially if they fail to streamline their energy consumption.

Incorporating smart office or technology into a new or existing structure makes it easier to reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint a business creates. More businesses consumers are turning to alternative energy sources to escape the high and seemingly ever-increasing tariffs.

There are a range of certified electrical and alternative power solutions ranging from supportive supply to standalone back-up solutions to grid-tie solar systems, generators, UPS and solar.

Bertie Strydom, managing director of BT-SA, says it is widely accepted that electricity bills will spike higher than usual this winter. "But it doesn’t have to be that way, there are plenty of simple ways to minimise the amount of energy needed to heat your business or home and save a bundle of cash doing it."

Creating a smart office that optimises how and when it uses energy can have a positive influence on your budget and also on the environment. This can be done by connecting office services and devices into a system that allows you to control it from anywhere with a smart device.

A thermostat that adjusts its target temperature based on time of day, the day of the week, the season, the weather and how many people are in the building is just one piece of the bigger energy-optimisation puzzle. A modern automation system can adjust window blinds on each side of the building based on the time of day to absorb solar heat or block it, depending on the temperature needs.

"When no one is around, your appliances and water heater could automatically go into energy saver mode," he adds.

BT-SA recommends that you should always consider precision cooling and heating that ensures intelligent energy saving, guaranteeing temperatures within the targeted environment.

 “Remember to always ask your installer about the maintenance of any cooling or heating system," he concludes.