15
IMPROVE YOUR ENERGY
EFFICIENCY
UK businesses are losing almost £7 million per day due to poor energy efficiency, according to
a report published in 2008 by the Carbon Trust, However, encouragingly, with the credit crunch
on the front pages and the threat of a recession looming, a growing number of companies are
looking to energy efficiency as a prime area in which to cut costs.
“We’re talking about money that could be saved by making quick and easy changes such as encouraging
staff to turn off computers and lights, turning down the heating, or maintaining equipment properly,” says Hugh
Jones, Solutions Director at the Carbon Trust.
The total figure involved of £2.5 billion per year (£1.3 billion of this is accounted for by small and medium-sized
businesses) is not the only thing at stake; this also represents potential carbon emission savings of 22 million
tonnes, equivalent to the entire carbon output of Scotland’s business and commercial sector.
Many of the measures recommended by the Carbon Trust to make these huge savings are almost
laughably simple.
They include:
• Switching lights off (using energy-saving bulbs, naturally) when not needed
• Avoiding unnecessary use of heating
• Switching computers and other equipment off when not in use
• Providing kettles for employee use rather than hot drink vending machines.
As the figures show, small measures will add up. A photocopier left on overnight, even if it has a standby mode,
uses enough power to make 1,500 copies.
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