Energy Management Archives - Gebs Energy Management

ESOS, THE UK’s MECHANISM TO COMPLY – PARIS 2015?

A Tropical Paradise

Yesterday I visited the Grand Turk and Caicos Isles where I started thinking about Climate Change and the implications of rising sea levels; not just on this beautiful archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean but other vulnerable outposts and nations in our small and beautiful world.

Rising Sea Levels

Increased temperatures, leading to rising seas, would mean a mass movement of people, populations and nations. The catastrophic results of our inability to control our Greenhouse Gas emissions, CO2 levels and globally embrace carbon reduction, wholly and unilaterally has a direct effect. Even those countries looking smugly on, believing perhaps it is something ‘happening to other people’, will not be unaffected. They will see unprecedented numbers of refugees and survivors moving towards safe havens until borders are forced to close, public opinion sours and politicians debate how many thousands of people will be allowed to settle in their “unaffected” country.

UN Climate Change Talks Paris 2015

Today, 10^th December 2015 the UN Climate Change Talks in Paris, came to a historic agreement to limit global warming to 2 Degrees, with a target of a 1.5 Degrees, monitored over a 5 year reporting cycle to ensure that all is on track. This is historic. Since all 220 countries in attendance have agreed in principle with the targets on the table then, once ratified, this will become law around the globe.

How Will The UK Comply?

Thinking ahead and musing out loud, what impact would it have on the UK, if this agreement is ratified by the world’s nations, and how would we comply with the legal and binding target? The area with the greatest impact on our CO2 levels is our energy consumption and is undoubtedly where the biggest opportunities for savings will come. If the UK ratifies this treaty, our programme of generating energy from renewables might get an injection of enthusiasm, from an otherwise lukewarm and hitherto pro-gas administration.

However, the first and most fundamental step would be to understand how much, as a country, we are currently consuming and thus where the reductions can be made. Presently, we have various mechanisms and diverse methods of accounting for our CO2 and energy consumption. Many businesses view this as a laborious box ticking, time consuming, toothless, data reporting exercise to comply with red-tape. With the most recent piece of environmental and energy legislation being “The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme” which, I can vouch personally, has been received by some within the business community with much rolling of eyes, tutting and, in some cases, baulking at the need to provide evidence of compliance.

Legislation Review 2015

However, during November 2015, the Government quietly carried out a review of the current legislation for energy consumers and the mechanisms for reporting and collection. They said that they wanted to understand whether the current methods were too complex and could be simplified. The suggestion was that ESOS could be used as a vehicle, adapted to catch commercial energy-consumption data.

Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme?
For those who are unfamiliar with it, ESOS is a formal UK energy consumption reporting mechanism, in full compliance with current EU regulations. Companies with UK-based operations involving more than 249 employees, or a balance sheet of in excess of 38m euros, are all affected.

Companies meeting these criteria must carry out a formal energy assessment of their business, identify where energy is paid for by them and report this to the Environment Agency. To support this submission, an evidence pack must be produced which shows how the figures were calculated. This includes energy-profiling and audits of consuming operations, buildings, plant equipment and transportation. It is expected that they identify areas of opportunity to reduce their consumption and the cycle for reporting is once every 5 years.

Vehicle for Compliance?

Sound familiar? The Climate Change agreement hammered out at Paris, December 2015 has a challenging clause to reduce global warming by 2 Degrees with a target of no more than 1.5 Degrees. Nations which ratify this treaty will have to report every 5 years on their position against the agreed target. ESOS is a legal reporting requirement on a 5 year collection cycle which collects current consumption and areas for improvement and reduction.

Energy Consumption Accounting, the Future?

I am speculating but, given the fact that the government has recently carried out a ‘consultation’ exercise to look at the effectiveness of current UK energy and environmental reporting legislation, it seems not unlikely that ESOS will become the preferred mechanism for reporting business consumption. However, this would be need to be conducted regardless of the size of the business and be appropriate to any business, within the UK, paying for energy directly.

Could there be a new strand of corporate returns and taxation based around Energy Accounting? We wait to see.

Take Control Of Your Commercial Energy Supply

What To Consider:

For your Commercial Energy Supply, there are some simple things to consider to ensure you get the best deal and then manage it effectively:

How many Units are you buying?

When you have signed that contract make sure you regularly record your consumed units from your meter, otherwise you won’t know when you have used your agreed quota of kWh’s (See point number 2).

What are the penalty charges?

Understand the cost, per unit, if you use more or less than any agreed upper and lower limits, respectively, in the timeframe of your contract. Like the excess mileage on a rental car, these can be quite steep and again it can be where they hide their profit.

Cost of the standing charge

Some suppliers, both domestic and commercial, charge a low kilowatt hour rate BUT have an additional higher Standing Charge rate, per unit. This enables them to say they have cheaper energy charges but they compensate via this other per unit cost and this is often again where they hide their profit.

Don’t go ‘out of contract’

Make sure you know and remember when your contract is up for renewal and don’t go over it. Make sure you renegotiate or change your supplier before you roll over to their Standard Tariffs. Out of Contract supply is the most expensive way to buy your energy and many of our business clients save money immediately by going back into a fixed-term contract.

Not all brokers are the same

As in all walks of life, there are good brokers and bad brokers. Some have specialised and dedicated experts who understand their client’s requirements and operating pressures. Then there are others who are just agents of a franchise and know as much about energy and energy markets as you do about piloting a spacecraft. I met someone recently whose main job is as a freelance training provider but they also act as a broker for a well-known, utility supply franchise. In this instance, they may be able to reduce the cost of supply kWh but it isn’t really in their interests to help clients reduce their consumption. It’s all about commission and acquiring another sale. If you do go to a broker do some research and see whether brokering supply and cost reduction is their main specialism (Linkedin is good for that) rather than ‘something else they do’ and don’t forget to ask about the financial penalties for reducing usage.

Buy in the Summer Time

The best time to buy energy is before January and ideally in the summer months.

Good Housekeeping Counts

Finally, if you are paying your energy costs directly and they are not included in the rental of the premises, remember it is all about good housekeeping. Track your usage, identify and eliminate excess energy waste, make savings through behaviour change, non-negotiable processes and procedures and considered equipment purchases. If you have a simple routine right from day one, then wasting energy is less likely and you won’t need to pay unnecessary costs (which is direct profit) and less Climate Change Levy.

Fuel Poverty and Food Bank Link

The UK has one of the highest levels of housing costs in Europe, while between 2010 and 2013 energy prices for households rose by 37 per cent. This has, according to The Trussell Trust been a major contributing factor to households going hungry and are frequently turning to FoodBank.

Turn2us, a service that helps people with financial difficulties, state that two-fifths or 40% of low income households and nearly half, 47%, of people with disabilities who are on low incomes have had to cut back on food or skip meals, because of difficulties with paying energy bills  - (Turn2us’ Fuel Poverty campaign 2014, a survey of low income households).

Day to Day Living Costs Rise While Wages Fall

Managing energy consumption is increasingly being recognised by business as a necessity but it is equally crucial at home, where rent, mortgage, utility costs, food and general day-to-day living costs have been rising. Meanwhile wages, in real terms, have been at best stagnating and at worst reducing.

Many councils and housing associations have been pro-active and recognised that their tenants are vulnerable and have implemented housing stock energy efficiency improvements, such as cavity wall insulation, UPVC window replacement, upgrades of heating and water systems. In some cases they have taken advantage of the financial incentives in place and installed Solar PV for power or Solar Thermal to heat the water. However not all householders are in this position, they may own their own properties, privately rent or just haven’t had the helping-hand of a council or Housing Association energy efficiency programme.

How much does my Appliance cost me in a year?

What can be done? Well, control and measurement can have a significant impact – reduce your consumption and reduce your costs. However, if you don’t know what you are using, you can’t take effective steps to reduce and prioritise consumption. By measuring, the consumer can make decisions on usage based on how much it might cost.

The table below shows Average consumption of Typical Rated Equipment and Appliances.

*To calculate the cost of usage, multiply the number of units by the per Unit Cost and/or Standing Charge per Unit Cost* *1 Unit = 1 Kilowatt Hour (kWh)*
Kitchen/Utility Room Appliances	Average Unit Consumption per day/per session/per annum
Freezer	About 1 to 1.5 Units per day
Fridge/Freezer	About 1.5 Units per day
Fridge	Less than 1 Unit per day
Dish washer – one full load	About 1.5 Units
Tumble dryer – full load of cottons	About 3.5 Units
Tumble dryer – full load of synthetics	About 2 Units
Washing machine – cottons @ 60C	About 1 Unit
Washing machine – synthetics 40C	Less than 1 Unit
Cooker & hob	1.5 Units average per day
Kettle	1 Unit per 12 pints boiling water
Microwave (850W) 20 mins on full	Less than 0.5 Units per day
Toaster	1 Unit per 60 slices of toast
Other Appliances
Electric blanket	Less than 1 unit, for approximately 1.5 hrs a night for a week
Extractor fan	1 to 2 units per 24 hrs
Hair dryer (500w)	1 Unit per 10/12 Min sessions
Iron	0.5 to 1 unit per hr

Writing An Energy Policy

Your Energy Policy

A documented and published Energy Policy will show to your stakeholders that Energy Management is an organisational core value. It will allow you to commit the business to an energy efficiency strategy which will lead to increased profitability and a reduced environmental impact.

How Do I Start?

So you have your policies in place, HR, Finance, Purchasing, IT, Fleet, Security but what about Energy?

An effective energy policy can be as little as a few sentences, or as much as a number of paragraphs, but, it should be documented and publicised.

What Should It Include?

The Energy Policy should establish top management commitment to energy performance improvement and state the company’s energy priorities. Key though, is that the policy is documented and all staff, suppliers and customers are able to understand it.

who has accountability
what the organsational overall energy targets are
how progress will be monitored and reviewed.
human resources and training commitments
how energy management will be integrated into wider business processes
economic investment criteria
integrating energy efficiency into existing capital investments
reporting procedures
links to other energy/carbon reduction programmes

SAMPLE ENERGY MANAGEMENT POLICY

EXAMPLE Company Ltd Energy Policy

Date:

EXAMPLE Company’s corporate mission is to provide:

The best possible productsand highest level of customer service our customers
Maximum value to our shareholders
A rewarding work environment to our employees

In pursuit of this mission, EXAMPLE Company will strive to achieve a world-class reputation for energy management. We are committed to using energy in the most efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible manner possible.

Energy management will play a key role in our organisation, across all business functions. It will support our plan to maximize profitability, strengthen our competitive position, and provide customers with the highest quality of services. Our efforts to reduce energy use and reduce our carbon footpring will also support our commitment to our employees, the environment, and the communities in which we are a part.

Toward this end, EXAMPLE Company shall work towards continuously improving energy performance. We will establish specific implementation plans by [date/timeframe], and will have made significant achievements in this area within [X] years’ time.

EXAMPLE Company’s objectives as related to this policy are the following:

Provide the best possible environment for occupants of our facilities, while simultaneously maximising energy performance
Reduce operating expenses and increase profit by actively and responsibly managing energy consumption
Make available staff, funding and , tools and equipment for projects with a proven energy efficiency value.
Demonstrate commitment to our community and leadership in the [insert industry] by reducing our carbon output associated with energy use

EXAMPLE Company will endeavor to meet or exceed the following energy management targets in service to these objectives: [Select or modify an appropriate, realistic set of targets]

Reduce energy consumption in existing buildings by [insert %] over a 5-year period
Reduce energy intensity [insert kWh target] by [insert %] in existing buildings over a 5-year period
Achieve and maintain ISO5001 certification within our organisation by [insert date].
Ensure all capital purchases consider energy efficiency and achieve [insert %] energy savings.
Reduce carbon emissions associated with energy consumption by [x%] by [year]
Continually measure and improve our energy performance against our baseline of [insert baseline consumption] [insert date]
Reinvest savings from our energy efficiency programmes into additional energy efficiency projects.

This policy shall apply to all of EXAMPLE Company Ltd’s, sites, business units, employees, and contractors in service to our organisation.

Approved by:

Name CEO/COO/Chairman of the Board_____ Date ______________________________

Energy Management First Steps – Simple Energy Audit

What to consider in a DIY Energy Audit

A simple and useful Energy Audit is a good start to bring together all factors to give you a clear picture of how you consume your energy within your organisation. It’s a bit like being a detective and will identify the Strengths Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats to your organisational energy consumption. What you will need to ascertain is:

What Energy is being used at the site
Meter Readings
Site Plans/Building Layout
Location of Sub Meters, Plant Room
Who are the main consumers of Energy (if known)
A list of main plant and equipment, lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and age
What Control Systems are in place
What temperature are your thermostats set to?

Does Energy Consumption Match Day To Day Operations?

If your business is not currently recording and monitoring energy usage you may be able to obtain half-hourly consumption data from your energy supplier. This can show clearly how the energy is being used and from this you can define your optimum required consumption based on occupancy levels or operating shifts and minimise consumption spikes and sporadic uncontrolled energy usage. To maximise the integrity of the data and analysis you will need to know:

Half Hourly consumption data and sub- metering info (where applicable)
The staffing levels for the period, working hours or shift patterns
An understanding of the day to day operations
If available, historical weather conditions and bank-holiday/seasonal shut down dates.

Take a look at the Building

Understanding the building and the management of the in-situ environmental plant, is also crucial to a decent audit. What is the age of the building and is it maintained in good condition. Consider the condition and controls of the environmental plant. The older the systems and the built form for example, then the less energy efficient it will be. Or, if your building has ill- fitting doors or windows, damaged insulation on hot water carrying pipework, possibly single glazing, holes in the external walls and poor insulation then your energy costs will be higher.

Are the Environmental Plant and Controls in Good Condition?

This also applies with the environmental plant, if it isn’t serviced regularly and is as installed in the building on day 1 of operations then the amount of energy consumed, against the benefits to the occupants will be greatly reduced. Just ask yourself, just how many layers of paint are on those radiators and how may room thermostats are sitting next to the print-centre or over a heat source. A simple tip at the end of the day if anything is buzzing, hissing, bleeping, glowing or flashing it is often consuming unnecessary power.

What about Air-Flow?

Also think about air-flow, often we feel think we’re lethargic and tired due to being hot. Often we have seen that it is because air flow has been interrupted within the premises. Over the years, partitions for meeting rooms and offices may have been installed which has blocked the free flow of fresh air.

Speak To The People

Also speak with the employees often they know where energy can be saved because they work with it day to day. Their behaviours and housekeeping impact energy consumption massively, there is a train of thought that most buildings are energy efficient until you introduce people. The users also know that, really, the setting they may have on their workstation is always ‘in that position’ not because it is the most efficient setting but because ‘they can’t be bothered to adjust it’ or waste the time ‘turning it on or off’.

Simple Steps = Savings

If you start your energy auditing journey with these simple considerations, you will start to take control of your consumption and start making measurable reductions. It is a key part of the strong foundations for a robust energy management system and can provide meaningful data for a more in-depth and detailed study which will return more substantial consumption savings and carbon reduction.

If you don’t do any other Energy Management, do this – it will save you money!

Ask for your consumption data from your Energy Supplier

The simplest and most basic way to begin to manage your energy consumption is to monitor your usage levels from your meter readings. Many business premises will have a meter which sends consumption data to your supplier. Requesting your data from them will allow you to identify your average consumption patterns, your lowest running rate and your highest kWh consumption. More importantly, it will allow you to identify where energy is being wasted. For example, if the heating or cooling is operating outside of work hours, or plant has been left running on high when production is at its lowest, then it will be identifiable through the consumption data. Whilst gas suppliers can currently give us a daily overview, data direct from your electricity supplier is more useful, as increasingly commercial premises have meters which download consumption information half-hourly.

How much energy do we really need to use?

In many organisations, energy consumption is a fixed cost, a necessary overhead and traditionally we have paid the bills and thought nothing of it. However, in this age of volatile and ever rising energy costs, we don’t want to stick our heads in the sand and ignore the fact that we don’t actually know what we use, where, and whether it’s being wasted. For example, we have heard from a well-respected energy manager who, through analysis of consumption data for a hospital laundry, identified high levels of usage out of hours. Their normal operating days were Monday to Thursday. To the shock of the Hospital Management, consumption analysis showed clearly that as well as the normal Mon-Thur consumption, the laundry was operating, and consuming, Sat-Sun as well. Investigations showed that a member of staff there had a profitable side-line going; they’d been using the facilities to launder football kit from a local Saturday League for at least 3 years.

Simple Spreadsheets can show wasted energy

Whilst this sort of occurrence tends to be an exception rather than the norm, it does highlight that commercial energy consumption has historically been seen as a necessary but relatively insignificant overhead, justifying little management attention. Ever-increasing costs mean it can no longer be ignored, next to staff costs it is the second highest financial liability, and in some energy intensive industries, the single biggest operational cost. A simple excel spreadsheet can graph your consumption levels, making it easier to identify where there is unexpected or wasted energy consumption. In our experience, every client has had some sporadic or unplanned energy consumption, out of working hours, that could be minimised through simple steps.

Identify your significant energy users and consumers, start to forecast consumption

For those who want to put in place more sophisticated controls, sub metering of significant users and highest consumers is the next step. This means that specific energy management can be undertaken and forecasting can be effected. There are some great bits of software out which track consumption, align it with the electronic building management systems (BMS) and monitor specific and significant consumers within the business, sending alerts to flag up unplanned consumption. Some software, linked to BMS or standalone units, can control lighting, heating, cooling, water temperature and other building functions, allowing a level of control and management which will ensure all energy consumed within the building is controlled and accounted for.

Try the simple things first, look at your consumption data

Back to basics though, if just want to make a start and simply better manage your consumption, through analysis of your usage, taking regular meter readings or obtaining regular data from your energy supplier is the first step. If you take measures to minimise the excess usage, or just reduce the consumption spikes out of hours, it’s this information that it will make a practical difference – and who knows, once you’ve seen the benefits you might want to install a more robust and comprehensive Energy Management System.

Energy Efficiency and making savings, it’s all about Change

Energy Efficiency, it’s all about Change

The cost of energy is forcing organisations to look at the way they consume their energy resources. This will allow them to improve their competitiveness and reduce their operating costs. It is impossible for any business to operate without using Energy and any programme of measures to improve efficiency should impact all the people within the organisation and this means CHANGE.

Everyone needs to Change to a greater or lesser degree

To gain maximum energy efficiency savings, ideally each individual within the workplace should take ownership for minimising the energy they personally consume in the execution of their duties. This will mean, to varying degrees, a change in the way their jobs and daily tasks are carried out. It might also mean a change to the way people and departments interact with each other or a change to operating procedures and guidelines.

Energy Management doesn’t need to be painful, we have all experienced Change.

However, most businesses are familiar with the Change Cycle and it is understood that in order to ensure a change programme is successful, individuals within the organisation will need to go through the psychological processes of transition. Transition allows people to come to terms with the new situation and routine.

Classic behaviours and feelings exhibited when implementing an Energy Management System (EnMS)

There are classic feelings, behaviours and emotions associated with change and they are likely to be seen in the roll out of any Energy Management System (EnMS). It impacts all areas of the business and introduces new methods of working, roles and responsibilities, targets and objectives, processes and procedures; it is a prima facae programme of change. The emotions, behaviours and feelings you will see during the process are not necessarily all negative though, as we can see in the table below:

Table 1: Common feelings and reactions associated with change

Negative Resentment Anger Nervousness It’ll never work Loss of motivation Low morale	Positive Positive Optimistic, Excitement Intrigue, Motivation, Challenge Confident, Interested, Engaged At last, enthusiastic learning Full of energy, A challenge.

Don’t discount your people’s feelings – we’re looking for Acceptance

What we are aiming for ultimately is acceptance and to achieve this we should remember that people may not see the need for change and many will have preconceived ideas and points of view regarding the validity and veracity of the planned change.

Behaviour changes can be a challenge

For example, a recent survey carried out by Gebs Energy shows that 75% of consumers are worried about the cost of energy but haven’t made any changes to their homes or domestic behaviours to reduce their consumption. They are so used to turning lights on, thermostat up or down, leaving their PC on at the end of the day, etc. Whilst they are worried about the impact in their own pockets they may not necessarily understand the importance and rising energy costs may have on the company they work for and if they haven’t started making behavioural changes at home, despite worrying about rising costs, they are unlikely to do so at work unprompted.

Refine your energy efficiency plan by listening and communicating

Communicating, understanding, listening and being prepared to accommodate other people’s ideas allows the refinement of your own energy efficiency plan, making it easier for the workforce to accept. Central to any change programme is the management of people, their perceptions and expectations. Listening to them and valuing their point of view should engage them sufficiently to engender belief in the ‘new way’ and a desire to see it succeed.

Change will bring its own energy efficiency rewards

While it is currently impossible for any business to operate without using Energy, in the near future it will be become impossible for any business to operate without using Energy Management. A lot of change will be necessary between now and then.

Energy Management: Don’t just pay the bill

We don’t make mistakes

Last week I was told by an employee at a local college, as they dealt with a query for me, that they had been ‘doing the job for 10 years and don’t make mistakes’. The person in question was quite happy that I speak with their manager, also was a long term fixture, as they would verify that no error had been made.

As it happened, and to my relief, they had made a poor call by treating my problem as ‘business as usual’ and not taking the time to understand my more unusual situation.

Never presume you know the answer to the question

In fact it wasn’t ‘business as usual’ but new circumstances arising out of very recent changes. After a bit of a tense time, the problem was eventually resolved. In future I hope they listen a little more carefully, adapt their processes to ensure up to date information and training for the appropriate people, but also do not presume they know what the answer is before properly understanding the question.

Traditional Energy Management vs Fresh Eyes

In a similar vein, most of us have been managing our energy in the traditional format for many years. We are very competent at paying the bills when they arrive, have environmental and production plant serviced regularly and ensure life-cycle upgrades, and replace equipment with more energy efficient models as the need arises. But complacency, a lack of current-thinking awareness or a bigger-picture view may still hinder our opportunities to maximise our consumption savings.

For example, in the more customary approach one person within the organisation may have responsibility for environmental comfort, the buildings integrity and the maintenance of the HVAC equipment. There might be someone else responsible for the effectiveness of plant and production technologies. In addition to others ensuring the bills are paid and the plant replaced at the end of its life-cycle.

Integrated Energy Management – Maximise the savings

Whilst not being the wrong way to manage energy, this is not necessarily the most efficient way. A fresh approach to ensure that your business maximises its energy savings and minimises its costs and overheads could be to adopt a more integrated and informed stance:

Don’t just pay your energy bill, understand it – kWh’s, capacity charge, standing charge, per unit cost (and applicable times and rates).
Track your half-hourly data usage, understand your minimum and maximum consumption periods
Understand who are your significant users and consumers
Identify and track back on unnecessary consumption spikes
Report your findings to the Operations Managers and Building Services Managers. So they can take steps to minimise wastage or, when appropriate, justify consumption peaks
Ensure your procurement people understand that energy efficiency is a valid reason to replace older equipment, especially if the payback period can be improved by energy consumption savings
Procurement should also understand your supply contracts. Being out-of-contract with your energy supplier can be a very costly slip.
Listen to your Building Services Managers when they ask for service contracts or remedial repair work to the building. It may seem a ‘nice to have’ but they know that this will save the business money in the short, medium and long-term.

Energy Management don’t just do what you’ve always done

The fact is, Energy Management isn’t something we have had to think about too much before, it was always a fixed and fairly affordable cost and, as such, has been done the same way for many, many years. Whilst we haven’t been doing it badly, the rules out there have changed; so ensure that your business has not been left behind, has listened to and clearly understood the new challenges.

Gebs Energy can provide a free energy management health check for your business, email us on info@gebsenergy.co.uk to see whether you are ‘business as usual’ or using energy management as a competitive advantage.

Good Energy Habits and Savings Begin With Observation

Take a Good Look, It Might Just Save You Money

Many of us spend at least 40 hours, 5 days a week at our place of work. That might be an office, school, hospital, warehouse, factory, shop etc. Day in, day out, we traipse to and from our desks and workstations, with our thoughts on what we did the evening before, the children, our partners, plans for the weekend, the rotten journey or parking situation.

We may be thinking about the weather and probably what is in store for us in the day ahead. Lots going on mentally in the journey but when was the last time we actually considered the physical site we work in?

What Might You See?

It is fascinating to look at the actual premises with a purpose in mind. It can provide vital clues and quick fixes to help reduce our energy costs. So for a change, on any day, take a step back and really look at the building, you will probably see, at least one or more of the following:

Lights on in empty spaces or on a bright day
Windows open whether it is a hot or cold day and often despite
aircon or heating
External doors left or propped open
Fire Exits propped open
Loading bay doors propped open
Skylights and windows dirty
Windows and doors, ill fitting or broken
External walls with holes in them
Air-con units covered in dirt and debris
Security Lights stuck ‘on’ in broad daylight
Pipes dripping

Every Kilowatt Hour Counts

Whilst there may only be a few of the above list which are relevant to your particular place of work, any of these examples can account for wasted kWh, which equals unnecessary cost and carbon tax. If you are a multi-site business, and if this is replicated across your organisation, then the cost to your business will naturally increase proportionately.

Switch Off – Turn Off

A simple solution to help minimise unplanned energy consumption is to put in place basic shut down and close down routines. Our businesses will benefit from each and every employee following a ‘switch-off, turn-off’ plan at the end of their day, operations permitting.

To ensure that it given the necessary importance, it can be embedded within an individual’s role and responsibilities. Energy ownership can be as prescriptive as required, especially if that individual has responsibility for large consuming processes. However, in most cases, a general statement about energy management is sufficient.

End of Day Routines Make a Difference

Expanding this idea, we have found that including a walk-round routine at the end of the day, by a designated individual who can observe and note unnecessary consumption, works very well. They might take steps to eliminate it there and then or, if it is more complex, start the process of a review leading to consumption reduction.

Take Action, Don’t Ignore It

Mind you, there has to be a robust and timely action and resolution process in place. I’m sure we can all agree that there is nothing more frustrating and disheartening than identifying a problem, using the formal reporting process as has been requested, then waiting weeks before the problem is rectified, if at all. Imagine how annoying and disheartening it would be a person in one part of your building to be continuously having to turn off lights in another part of the building because those in the relevant Department are wilfully ignoring the company line without consequence.

Good Energy Habits and Savings Begin With Observation

Good Energy saving habits begin with observation, how are we currently wasting our resources? Where are we wasting it? What can we do differently? Observation is free and can be done by everyone and, if it is, then energy saving becomes everyone’s responsibility. In summary when energy consumption is owned by the individual then more kWh are saved.

Are We Prepared For Our Energy Winter?

Winter 2012 -2013

The harvest this year has been a late one around our offices. After an unexpectedly long, wet and cold winter, which started in late August 2012 and ran through relentlessly until June 2013, the farmers locally have just finished combining and bringing in their bailed straw and wheat. I think last year’s protracted Winter-conditions took them by surprise, just like the rest of us.

Every scrap of stored hay and straw in the barns adjacent to us was used for animal feed and bedding, even the old and very poor quality stuff that had laid there for years to plug holes in the barn sides. Towards the end of the winter, the farmhands were even sweeping up the loose bits on the floor of the barn. There was also a marked increase in the cost of hay and straw, due to the gradually reducing supply and inevitable increased demand.

Be Prepared

This year, it looks like the livestock holders are prepared for the worst. More fields have been bailed, rather than ploughed-under, and our barns are now stuffed to the edges with bedding and feed stores.

Taken Our Energy Supply for Granted?

By comparison have we, in our businesses, been complacent and taken for granted our energy supply? For many years we have used our gas, electricity and oil with little thought to the on-going cost or the fact that it is a finite resource. But have we made enough hay whilst the sun shone?

Energy Winter

Our businesses have, metaphorically at least, also presumed upon a short winter and adequate supplies of hay. Increasingly though, Experts and Authorities believe that we are now at the beginning of our ‘Energy Winter’ and its going to be a long one.

Dwindling Resources, Increased Demand

The global demands on already dwindling resources are being increased as the standard of living and industrialisation rises elsewhere in the world. That’s where the analogy fails us. The energy barn is big, but it is not infinite and there is no foreseeable “new harvest” coming through, no chance to correct the failed assumptions of the previous year.

Too Late To Take Control?

With this in mind, are we too late to take control and mitigate those increasing kWh costs? The answer has to be a resounding No! Rather than a desperate floundering scatter-gun approach to managing consumption though, we need to be considered and plan our energy management strategy, make realistic changes to our working practices, understand how, when and why we use our energy, monitor and create energy targets and objectives, start forecasting and planning consumption, steering clear of knee jerk spending but making sure energy usage is relevant and applicable to all.

Understand, Plan Forecast & Prioritise

Understanding the business’ consumption patterns, measuring and monitoring your usage, allows the business to forecast and plan energy requirements based on variables such as the outside temperatures or degree days, your workflow, to name but a few, all relevant to the organisation. This will allow the organisation to prioritise and minimise usage and consumption at times of unexpected need and unplanned necessity.

ESOS, THE UK’s MECHANISM TO COMPLY – PARIS 2015?

A Tropical Paradise

Rising Sea Levels

UN Climate Change Talks Paris 2015

How Will The UK Comply?

Legislation Review 2015

Vehicle for Compliance?

Energy Consumption Accounting, the Future?

Take Control Of Your Commercial Energy Supply

What To Consider:

Fuel Poverty and Food Bank Link

Fuel Poverty and Food Bank Link

Day to Day Living Costs Rise While Wages Fall

How much does my Appliance cost me in a year?

Writing An Energy Policy

Your Energy Policy

How Do I Start?

What Should It Include?

SAMPLE ENERGY MANAGEMENT POLICY

Energy Management First Steps – Simple Energy Audit

If you don’t do any other Energy Management, do this – it will save you money!

Energy Efficiency and making savings, it’s all about Change

Energy Management: Don’t just pay the bill

Good Energy Habits and Savings Begin With Observation

Are We Prepared For Our Energy Winter?

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