UK businesses 'wasting' billions on poor energy usage
Small and medium-sized businesses in the UK could cut their energy costs by up to 30 per cent a year but are unaware of the true potential for savings, a survey by the Carbon Trust shows. The Carbon Trust, which advises the UK government, polled 700...
Small and medium-sized businesses in the UK could cut their energy costs by up to 30 per cent a year but are unaware of the true potential for savings, a survey by the Carbon Trust shows.
The Carbon Trust, which advises the UK government, polled 700 small and medium-sized enterprises which spend between £50,000 and £3 million a year on energy.
It found that businesses could reduce their collective energy costs by more than £3 billion by controlling the way employees use energy, controlling lighting and heating and investing in the building's equipment and infrastructure.
The Trust has kicked off a drive to cut the energy use, typically by 20 to 30 per cent, of companies who spend £50,000 to £3 million a year on energy bills, through free expert on-site advice, action plans, as well as interest-free loans.
"The SME community in the UK is huge. There are tens of thousands of companies with energy bills over 50k which would qualify for a survey but they aren't doing it," Hugh Jones, Carbon Trust's director of solutions, told Reuters.
The survey showed that 49 per cent of respondents were worried about volatile energy costs in 2010. Sectors with the greatest concerns were construction, manufacturing and hospitality.
"Some of the smaller organisations, particularly in the service industry, still haven't understood the opportunity in (cutting energy use)," Mr Jones said.
One in seven respondents in the survey said there was nobody in charge of the company's energy management, yet a third of companies with over 50 staff said improving their green credentials was a top priority for this year.
"As we emerge from recession, companies with a good base of energy efficient behaviour - their customers will like it, employees will be more motivated and their bottom line will be helped," Mr Jones said. The five-star Lowry Hotel in Manchester has calculated it has cut its annual energy costs by £37,498 - a saving of 363.5 tonnes of CO2 a year - by using the Carbon Trust's survey.