Both gas and electricity are crucial for many aspects of the day-to-day running of businesses. The increasing cost of fossil fuels over the years has caused businesses of all sizes to investigate ways of saving money on these utilities wherever possible, and energy companies have aimed to offer the most affordable tariffs specially designed for business customers.

The uses of electricity in businesses are widely known - everything from lighting in buildings to computer systems require electricity to function. But less is generally known about how businesses utilise natural gas - which is still primarily viewed as a fuel for cooking and heating by the majority of households.

Gas can serve numerous purposes in business premises, depending on the type of business being operated. The most significant utilisation of gas is burning it as a fuel source, which can provide electrical power, fuel for vehicles and power for industrial furnaces. In the United States alone, around 22.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas was consumed in 2009, and more than a million pipelines provide this invaluable fuel to homes and commercial and industrial premises.

Businesses account for around 14 per cent of natural gas consumption, and demand is especially high during the winter months when heaters are operated more regularly. Natural gas can also be used to power air conditioners however, as well as providing hot water, which means many business premises rely on the fuel source all year round. Heating water and buildings using electricity is typically much more expensive, and would not be an economical or environmentally friendly alternative for businesses.

Even the electricity that businesses use may be provided by natural gas, as this fuel source produces less carbon dioxide per unit of energy than the fossil fuel alternatives - 30 per cent less than oil and 45 per cent less than coal. Industrial premises may be particularly heavy consumers of gas too, as both a raw material and heat source, with industry accounting for around 27 per cent of total natural gas consumption. Gas is particularly important for manufacturing industries, and is a key component in products such as antifreeze, pharmaceuticals, plastics and chemicals.

Some companies even use natural gas to power their vehicles. This is an area that more businesses and manufacturers are looking into as a cleaner alternative to oil - producing around 90 per cent less pollutants. With gas having such numerous benefits to companies in diverse industries, and the forecast for the future being increased reliance on the fuel source, companies are encouraged to compare business gas tariffs from the major providers to find the most affordable deals.

Jesse Wallace writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.