Saving Energy at Work

Energy Supply

The first and quickest way to cut down on an energy bill is often to change supplier. There is plenty of competition in the market and checking a price comparison site can help to identify large savings. It is possible to have a 50% discrepancy between the highest and lowest quotes offered. Before changing make sure you know:

• the amount of energy you use
• the terms of the contract you have with your existing supplier
• details of the premises being supplied
• The Consumer Focus website has information and advice on changing your gas and electricity supplier

Energy Saving Tips

Heating and Cooling

Inefficient heating and cooling are often the prime reason for high energy bills. Simply reducing the temperature by 1ºC can cut your heating bills by 10%. Often in a business environment simple heat saving tips can be employed that will save money.

• Switch off heating appliances when the office is empty.
• Reduce heating in areas that are not used often by people.
• When the heating is on, make sure windows are closed. This is the simplest way to keep your heating efficient.
• During winter, close windows and blinds as soon as the sun goes down. Temperatures drop much faster during this time in winter and this will reduce heat loss.
• Set your hot water supply to 60ºC to prevent legionnaires disease. Any hotter is unnecessary.
• Regularly check and service your boiler and check your system for leaks.
• Insulate windows, walls, pipes and boilers. The hottest pipes will lose the most heat so they are the most important ones to insulate.
• Do not position your thermostats in draughts, or in any other areas with uneven temperatures (in sunlight or near machinery that gives off heat).
• Check how the heating and cooling systems are designed to operate and take advantage of any in built energy efficiency ideas.

Lighting

British retailers will have to phase out traditional incandescent light bulbs by 2011 to keep in line with government proposals. Now is the time to start implementing the new bulbs. It will save money and promote your business as eco-friendly.

• Use natural light whenever possible. Ensure windows are clean and encourage staff to open blinds before thinking of switching on lights.
• When installing new lighting, make sure that lights in darker areas, or more remote areas, can be switched on and off independently of other lights.
• Ensure that light switches are clearly labelled.
• Fit presence detector lighting controls in places that are not in constant use (like the toilets, or photocopying room).
• Remember to think of the cost savings of a product by the end of its lifecycle. Energy efficient lightbulbs may be more expensive initially, but they will save in the long run.
• Get staff involved by running a “Switch Off” campaign.
• Clean light fittings regularly to ensure they are used to the maximum.

Office Equipment

Energy saving office equipment does not run any less powerfully than the equivalent. Changing equipment, or running existing equipment more efficiently will save money in the long run, as well as cutting out unnecessary waste.

• Ensure that equipment purchased has USEPA (Energy Star) standard or an equivalent. If your computer does have this facility that make sure that it is activated because often it is set up as being disabled.
• One of the most important ways to ensure the efficiency of your equipment and machinery is to keep machines maintained at all times. Monitor your machinery regularly to make sure that it is worked smoothly.
• Do not use screen savers. It is far more efficient to use the power down settings available, or to encourage staff to switch off their computer monitors when away from their desks.
• Do not leave any office equipment on overnight.
• Share printers as much as possible, avoiding printers sitting idle and meaning less printers need to be purchased.
• Avoid leaving any equipment on ‘stand by’ mode. It will still use energy and should be switched off instead.
• Use electricity powered tools rather than compressed air versions. These will use roughly one tenth of the energy.
• Run photocopiers in batches to ensure that the photocopier does not spend more time than needed switching between high power and sleep modes.

Transport

• Make sure staff are trained in fuel efficient driving techniques. Drivers that have been through the Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (SAFED) training course save an average of £500 per driver, per year, according to businesslink.
• Many organisations are introducing travel plans to reduce car use and increase efficiency.
• Use easily accessible conference venues to reduce travel.
• Locate offices and events close to public transport as much as possible.
• Make more use of email and video conferencing rather than travelling to see your colleague in person.
• Working from home can significantly reduce travel needs. Investigate the possibilities for your organisation.
• Promote car sharing and make sure you have good facilities for cyclists and walkers.
• Purchase company cars based on their fuel efficiency.

Incentives and Regulations

Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme

• The Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme is part of the government’s commitment to tackling climate change and offers a tax incentive to businesses that invest in energy saving equipment.
• An up-to-date list of the technologies that qualify for the allowance can be found on the Energy Technology Product List (ETPL). Providing the manufacturer meets the required standards, this includes products from the following groups:
• Air-to-air energy recovery
• Automatic monitoring and targeting (AMT)
• Boiler equipment
• Combined heat and power (CHP)
• Compact heat exchangers
• Compressed air equipment
• Heat pumps for space heating
• Heating ventilation and air conditioning zone controls
• Lighting
• Motors and drives
• Pipework insulation
• Refrigeration equipment
• Solar thermal systems
• Warm air and radiant heaters
• Details of the scheme and the products that qualify can be found here.

Capital and Incentive Allowances

• Making an investment into energy efficiency will often allow you to claim tax allowances.
• The businesslink website includes an interactive tool to help identify the capital and incentive allowances your business can claim.

Training

Making sure that your energy management or facilities management staff have up-to-date and thorough training will not only help to promote the concept of energy efficiency but will improve staff satisfaction and help you save money. The Energy Institute organises various training workshops and an open learning energy management course. Workshops include:

• Calculating your Carbon Footprint
• Introduction to Energy Regulations and Standards
• Energy Auditing in Practice
• Planning and Financing Energy Projects
• Small Scale Renewables and Microgeneration
• Metering, Monitoring and Targeting