SMEs not investing in energy efficiency
Only one in five small businesses in the UK have energy-efficient equipment in their office, according to energy giant E.ON
The vast majority of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are failing to take advantage of the financial and environmental benefits of technology that monitors and reduces energy consumption, reveals the research, launched to coincide with Energy Efficiency Week.
Almost 80% of the SME managers surveyed by E.ON last month confirmed their company doesn’t have any form of energy-efficient equipment in their office, with 81% revealing they don’t have an energy monitor and 86% saying do not have automatic lighting controls. On a more positive note, 15% do have smart meters.
According to E.ON’s calculations, almost four million UK SMEs are missing out on savings of up to £2,000 a month, totalling £7.7 billion.
"Worryingly, four out of five small businesses are not aware of the significant financial savings that can be made by becoming more energy efficient,” said Iain Walker, head of business sales at E.ON.
‘It's a win, win situation - saving your business money, [and] helping to protect the environment."
The results came as the Carbon Trust revealed that UK organisations could save up to 30% on their winter heating bills and significantly lower their carbon emissions through more efficient heating systems.
According to newly published advice from the trust, measures such as resetting timers, replacing old heating controls, reducing thermostats by 1°C and ensuring heating systems are regularly maintained, could save businesses and the public sector £35 million each year.
The trust has calculated that for a typical small office-based company with 100 employees, a 30% improvement in energy efficiency of their heating systems could result in a saving of up to 16 tonnes of CO2 a year.
The two new guides on energy-efficient heating can be downloaded free from the Carbon Trust website, and the trust is also hosting a webinar offering more advice on 31 October.