Energy
Save energy to light up your bottom line PDF Print E-mail
Written by Neil Gould, SME Manager, Powergen, July 2005   
You wouldn't open the window and throw money out of it. Yet some businesses are doing just that by ignoring one important area of overhead where they can help light up the bottom line in both the short- and long-term. But energy efficiency doesn't have to mean working by candlelight - and it could save businesses up to 20 per cent on their energy bills.
Whether at home or at work, we take it for granted that the lights come on and the heating keeps us warm when we need it. And it has for as long as we remember. So much so that we probably don't give too much thought to it, perhaps only when the energy bill arrives, and even then perhaps only if there's a discrepancy with the meter reading.

And there's the point. By paying for something so vital that you use it without thinking, we often forget that we can do something about how effectively we use energy. But there are two very real things you can do about it. One is to shop around for a better deal and change energy supplier. This is now much simpler than you might think. The other can give you a whole host of other positive spin-offs - it's being more energy-efficient.

The key to energy efficiency is to look at not only where energy is being used, but how
But what does being "energy-efficient" actually mean? Well, just think of it as being less wasteful of energy, and at the same time, your money. You wouldn't leave the phone off the hook, or the car engine running on the drive while you sleep. Or think of it like this: any equipment left running unnecessarily while not being used at lunchtime - which is 12 per cent of the working day - is effectively consuming 12 per cent more electricity than it should be. Overnight this is as much as 66 per cent. Every day, every week, every year. And that's all profit going up in smoke.

Being energy-efficient falls into two main areas: spotting where you're wasting it now, and stemming excess consumption in the future.

So what can you do right now? Well, take a look around you. You're using energy all the time, so all the time there are savings to be made. Chances are the lights are on and the heating or air-conditioning are working away. If your business uses computers, are these and all the other devices, like a printer and scanner, on as well? Go outside - do you have a floodlight that illuminates an entrance or the car park? Does it still come on when people pass by it during the day? Repeat this throughout your premises and you can see how things can start to add up.

The first step to saving is to appoint an 'energy champion', someone whose responsibility it is to look at where energy is being used, and so where it can be saved. Start monitoring your energy consumption monthly, or even weekly, to help you see if it matches your actual usage, or if you have a failure in a major piece of equipment or industrial process.

The key here is to look at not only where it's being used, but how. In your outside floodlight, do you have bright but energy-hungry halogen bulbs? Did you know that discharge lights use just 20 per cent of the energy? And did you know that just by replacing 1.5in fluorescent tubes with 1in ones, you'll get at least the same amount of light - often more - but instantly save 10 per cent of the energy?

Real energy savings can be made when replacing existing equipment

Buying new equipment

Once you know how and where energy is being used, the real savings can be made when replacing existing equipment.

You may only look at the initial outlay cost when buying a major piece of equipment. But they can cost many times more to run in their lifetime than they do to buy, and with as much as a 50 per cent difference in the running costs of appliances such as refrigerators, you should always shop around, and ask for consumption data in kWh if necessary. Spending a little more at the outset can bring big savings year on year, which will mean more money on your bottom line.

Companies who make strides to be more energy-efficient can typically save around 7 per cent, and as much as 20 per cent, on their energy bills - a profit boost you can achieve without working a single hour longer or cutting back on staff.

If you want to start making the change, your energy supplier can help you. The top suppliers are staffed by energy experts who have knowledge of a wide range of energy efficiency practices and equipment; they can provide tailored advice for businesses and many provide action packs with checklists of what to do and how.

Top ten energy saving tips

There are many things facilities managers can do to cut their company's energy bills:

  1. Appoint an 'energy champion', ensuring that person has responsibility for energy usage and the full support of the owner/manager.
  2. Replacing traditional tungsten light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent ones will reduce consumption by 80 per cent.
  3. Using air-conditioning in offices may double your energy bills: the higher you set your air-conditioning 'switch-on' temperature, the more you'll save - so set the lower temperature to 24ºC or higher.
  4. Check to ensure any power-saving modes on equipment are switched on - fit low-cost timers or sensors where possible.
  5. In commercial buildings, space heating is usually the biggest energy user. Draft proofing can be a very cost-effective measure - use automatic doors and plastic strip curtains for heavy traffic areas.
  6. In retail premises, lighting accounts for up to 60 per cent of energy costs. Using high-pressure sodium lights for external use is five times more efficient than using tungsten halogen lamps.
  7. In food stores, refrigeration can account for half the total energy bill. Select cabinets with good insulation, easy-to-fit night blinds and plastic strip curtains.
  8. In hotels and B&Bs, heating and cooling accounts for up to 70 per cent of energy bills. Turning down temperatures in empty rooms to 14ºC will cut energy usage without risking damp or affecting guest comfort.
  9. Although convenient and flexible, using compressed air to power industrial tools costs ten times more than using electricity to power them.
  10. Monitor energy consumption to see how effective energy saving measures have been.

But remember, above all else, the best tool you have to be energy-efficient is you and your staff. Encourage employees to think about their energy usage and put practices in place that make sure items are "turned down or turned off" when not in use. Because when they start saving, so do you.

Further information
Please contact:
Powergen Business Energy Helpline
Tel: 08000 85 85 25
www.powergen.co.uk/business
 
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