How to Switch on to Energy Efficiency
With energy bills having doubled over the past twelve months, there is both a powerful financial and environmental need to switch on to energy efficiency and drive down those harmful carbon emissions.
UK workplaces generate over 66 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year from the energy and resources they consume, yet there is plenty employees and employers can do. Getting started on reducing your energy consumption can cost you nothing and here’s six simple steps you could take to reduce your overall energy costs.
1. Government research shows that up to 20% of business energy is wasted. Companies spending in excess of £50,000 per year will qualify for a free energy efficiency survey from the Carbon Trust.
2. Lighting in a typical office costs about £3 per square metre annually. Energy efficiency could help you cut your annual lighting bills by two thirds. Energy efficient lighting solutions combined with timers, sensors and controls can help you make dramatic bottom line savings.
3. Heating costs rise by about 8% for each degree celsius of overheating. Check thermostat settings regularly. The recommended heating level for shops, restaurants and offices is 19 degrees Celsius.
4. Measure how much energy you’re using so that you can see what impact any energy saving measures have on your business. ‘Smart metering’ - the modern monitoring technology - is now highly affordable to all sizes of business - giving you instant access to quality, timely data that will give you a full picture of your energy consumption.
5. Switch off equipment when it’s not in use. According to the Carbon Trust, an average office wastes £6,000 each year by leaving equipment on over weekends and bank holidays. Just getting your employees to turn off their monitors when they go home can make a big difference.
6. Make the most of natural light. It’s free and it won’t damage the environment. So keep your windows clear and make the most of the daylight.
The Chamber UtilitiesT service can offer organisations all the help they need to become more energy efficient through smart metering monitoring solutions and Carbon Trust services. For further details contact Chamber UtilitiesT on 0845 120 2423, or visit their website.
Read the Utility Auditing Energy Brief for February 2007 by clicking ‘more’.
Utility Auditing Ltd Energy Brief Issue 9 - February 2007
January Market Report
Gas Market - The New Year started with mild weather and relatively low demand, and even a week-long cold spell failed to boost prices. The highest demand of the winter to date occurred on January 16th, but with the Langeled and BBL pipelines, together with the Isle of Grain LNG terminal importing steady volumes, the system maintained sufficient gas and coped very well.
Electricity Market - The market was dominated by bearish sentiments, with prices for the early 2007 months reducing due to a combination of mild weather (January being the second warmest on record in the UK), above-normal hydro reservoir levels and falling gas values. In contrast, a cold snap across mainland Europe saw record demand levels (86 GW in France compared to 58 GW here). On the curve, all contracts showed monthly reductions in excess of 10%.
Energy Tip
Now the spring is on its way, carry out checks on air conditioning settings. Heating should be set at 19C and cooling mode at 24C. Controls should be set to heating and cooling rather than being allowed to run in automatic. Also, ensure the system is adjusted for weekends and set to start no more than one hour before occupancy and switches off one hour before staff leave during the working week. By following these principles you will achieve considerable cost reductions.
News Briefs
Coal: the growth market - according to data published by the government in January, coal continued to be the main energy growth market in the third quarter of 2006. Consumption of coal was up 18.5% on the previous third quarter, while coal consumption by electricity generators was up 23.1% over the same period. Most of this increased consumption was derived from imports, which increased by 18.8% over the third quarter 2005, while UK coal production fell by almost a quarter.
Future energy sources - the energy industry is preparing to tap into unconventional sources from such unlikely places as Madagascar, where extracting and refining oil and natural gas uses large amounts of energy. Nevertheless, from the year 2020, such extraction will be critical to the world’s economic health.
Save Money
Reducing gas prices mean that Combined Heat & Power (CHP) is again becoming a viable option for clients. If you use large amounts of gas for heating & production, you may have the right load shape for a feasibility study by our sister company Combined Power. Good quality CHP schemes are 80% Climate Change Levy exempt. Contact us on 0845 120 2410 for details.
For more information contact Utility Auditing Ltd. Phone: 0845 120 2410
In addition to saving money through these recommendations, businesses can also reduce the cost of their other Utility by adopting Internet Telephony instead of traditional methods.
It’s not just about cost savings on the calls either. Because, as the calls run over broadband, businesses do not need to rent as many phone lines.
If you have staff working in other locations or from home, calls inter-alia are FREE.
Don’t think of reduced energy bills as the only way to save money - call us at 247telecoms.com and let us give you a no obligation review of how Internet Telephony can save money and reduce energy use.
Cheers
February 27th, 2007 at 1:15 pmPatrick Gill