A GUIDE TO CREATING AN ENERGY EFFICIENT BUSINESS

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1 A GUIDE TO CREATING AN ENERGY EFFICIENT BUSINESS

2 ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN BUSINESS Within any business energy costs are only a small percentage of total overhead costs, but reducing them can dramatically increase revenue without the need to increase sales. As with all cost saving any money saved on energy goes straight on the bottom line which makes businesses more competitive which, long term, will ensure the survival of the business in challenging trading conditions. The implementation of some simple energy efficiency measures can also increase levels of staff and customer comfort too. There are social and environmental benefits to reducing energy consumption, being energy efficient can enhance a business's reputation and help to attract more customers. This is one of a series of guides has been created by Spiral Utilities to help those involved in business to understand where they can make their businesses more energy efficient. Some of the solutions suggested can be implemented by yourselves with little or no cost, others will require a more technical approach which Spiral utilities would be more than happy to assist you with should you so wish. DO YOU HAVE AN ENERGY SAVING CULTURE? Let s look at the start at the core of your business, your staff, and their attitude towards creating an energy/ cost saving culture. This is a fundamental part of not only highlighting where savings can be made but also ensuring that they are then implemented. Everyone working in your business has an impact on energy use, so it should be everyone s responsibility to use energy wisely. It is the duty of management to ensure that staff are aware that as a business energy efficiency is a key part of your future success. To do this you must gain buy-in through inclusion and so where feasible look to appoint an energy team comprising management, support and maintenance staff to help identify opportunities for savings.

3 Encourage all staff to report any faulty lamps and to only use lighting where it is required. Ask staff to report areas that are overheated, where doors and windows are not closing properly, or where lighting or equipment is being left on unnecessarily. Ask maintenance staff to monitor and adjust control settings to meet but not exceed internal requirements for heating or cooling. Investigate current and past energy use and continue to monitor energy consumption. Do not underestimate the information staff can provide, many businesses actively collect feedback. This information can help build a picture of energy use and suggest potential actions. Review your energy bills over the last year in order to build a picture of past performance. Take regular meter readings once a month and use these to track your progress against the previous year s energy usage. Meter readings should also be checked against your energy invoices to ensure accurate billing. This simple monitoring and targeting system will help to track the benefits of energy saving measures implemented and enables any unusual changes in energy consumption to be quickly identified and followed up. Tell staff how much energy is currently being consumed. As the energy saving programme gathers momentum, comparisons can be made between current and initial consumption to highlight energy savings. It may be possible to implement some energy saving measures in-house but others may require specialist assistance.

4 YOUR ENERGY SAVING CHECKLIST Know your contracts It is estimated that over 90% of UK businesses do not know the renewal date for their energy contracts. If you are one of these businesses you must contact your supplier to find out the renewal date for each supply you have and the termination clauses that your supply enforces. Without this information you may find that you are unable to move to an alternative supplier, or worse that you are rolled into high out of contract rates. NB Every supplier has different termination requirements so do not assume they are all the same! Take your business to the whole of the market Most businesses at renewal will look for the easiest route to renewal, staying with your existing supplier. Some may approach one of the other big 6 suppliers as an alternative. Unlike the domestic market there are many other commercial energy providers, make sure you try them all to ensure you get the right deal for your supply type. Manage your energy consumption Suppliers are gradually rolling out new Smart meters to businesses that enable automated meter readings to be sent to that supplier. Rather than wait for this roll out you can get a meter from an independent supplier who can also provide you with reports showing when and how you use your energy. This information is invaluable in reducing energy waste in your business. Create an energy saving culture Not all of your staff will be as highly tuned to saving money as you are. A culture should be created where staff become more aware of the consequences of not turning lights or equipment off at the end of the day. A sustained effort in doing this can show a noticeable reduction in consumption and cost on your bills, maybe an incentive scheme can help you to achieve this. The savings will outweigh the cost!

5 Reduce your administration For every site you have you will most probably have at least two energy supplies, if not more. For each supply your contract dates may differ, as may your supplier and their requirements at renewal. If you own multiple sites the administration of your energy contracts can become a major staff time issue. Even though suppliers will not offer you one deal for all supplies (unless you have a very large number) you can still work towards a common renewal date for all. This way the process of renewal can be handled at one point in the year in a much more time efficient manner. SPIRAL UTILITIES Spiral was established in 2003 and is an independent company offering cost reduction advice and associated utility management services. Spiral offer a wide range of utility management services and have built up an enviable network of suppliers, and third-party specialists, all of whom have been tried, tested and accredited for quality and service levels in order to become Spiral partners. The prices and terms we have negotiated with our partners are generally at a level that would normally only be available to the largest companies. For further information contact us on or us on info@spiral-utilities.co.uk Visit our website at