Business Link, the business advisory service with branches in Bucks, Northants and Oxfordshire, is offering tips on energy saving and reducing energy costs just by switching off computers or taking other small steps.

Deborah Wharton, from Business Link, said: "When money is getting tight there are many ways in which being more environmentally friendly will really help your bottom line.

"Cutting even a few hundred pounds of costs from your business – and this need not affect the level of customer service you offer – is equivalent to thousands of pounds of extra sales.

"Start off by considering your energy use and transport costs, as these are two large areas that you can make savings in quickly."

A good place to start is by getting staff to switch-off computers, lights and high-energy devices such as electric tea or coffee machines or speakers when they are not in use, which could cut energy costs by between 10% and 20%.

Businesses are also urged to invest in new, more efficient equipment as older pieces may use more energy and if financing is a problem, the Carbon Trust provides interest-free loans to firms which meet certain criteria.

The Energy Saving Trust runs green reviews on fleets of 50 vehicles or more. Companies which deliver goods or run company cars can plan routes to keep mileage as low as possible.

Other tips include substituting face to face meetings for web-based video conference calls, working from home if it is not necessary to come into the office and striving to be a paperless office.

Further tips are available on the Business Link website www.businesslink.gov.uk/southeast/environment or by telephoning 0845 6009006 to arrange an appointment with a Business Link adviser.

Click here for more stories on environmental issues in the Advertiser & Review region