energy Archives - Gebs Energy Management

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

Social Landlords: Simplified Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (RHI)

Changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Changes to the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (RHI) have recently been announced. The adjustments have the capacity to remove the barriers to energy efficiency upgrades for some of the most vulnerable consumers in the country.

RHI is a financial incentive scheme encouraging and promoting the installation of heating systems that use naturally replenished energy. It is expected that it will help the UK reduce its carbon emissions and is applicable for both Non- Domestic and Domestic Buildings.

From Spring 2015

From Spring 2015 registered Social Landlords will be able to apply for the RHI Scheme if they have an Energy Performance Certificate which is less than 2 years old. There will no longer be a requirement for a Green Deal Assessment if this criteria is fulfilled.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) states that the reasoning behind the changes is that ‘Social landlords often provide homes for some of the most vulnerable people and by making the RHI more accessible, tenants will enjoy warmer homes and lower bills’.

What’s In It For Me?

The RHI will pay the following tariffs per unit, for energy generated, over the next 7 years.

Technology	Tariff
Air-source heat pumps	7.3p/kWh
Ground and water-source heat pumps	18.8p/kWh
Biomass-only boilers and biomass pellet stoves with integrated boilers	12.2p/kWh
Solar thermal panels (flat plate and evacuated tube for hot water only)	19.2 p/kWh

Source UK gov.uk – Updated Nov 2014

Goodbye Oil, Hello Renewable Energy

The DECC says that 365,000 people live in fuel poverty and a further 2.28 million are in fuel-poor households. A large percentage of those who struggle with fuel costs live in ‘off the gas grid’ properties, relying on oil and electricity to heat their homes.

Additionally, many of these households have to pay up-front fuel costs, through pre-payment electricity meters or oil deliveries. Removing the need for a Green Deal Assessment paves the way for homes to be made warmer and lower heating costs for some of the most vulnerable people.

Barriers to change

Landlords in the rental sector both domestic and non-domestic are still somewhat reluctant to embrace energy efficiency, due to the perceived cost of upfront investment required. A large percentage of the UK rented housing stock is still Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Rated E-G. Private and Commercial tenants often do not have the influence or the appetite to push for property efficiency improvements. There is a thought that if they rock the boat they will be asked to leave. On the other hand, understandably, Landlords think ‘what’s the benefit to me?’ and so do ‘just enough’. Whilst there are many exceptional landlords out there, who understand the importance of energy efficiency in their properties, there are still as many who need to need to be persuaded.

Simplified RHI Funding

Making the RHI funding and improvement process simpler, at least in the Domestic rented sector, should mean only good things for the tenant, the landlord’s property portfolio and the UK’s Carbon Emissions targets.

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 ______________________________

What is ESOS? What’s it all about then?

ESOS Why?

Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme, or ESOS, is the vehicle that the UK is using to comply with the European Union 2012 Energy Efficiency Directive, Article 8. It is designed to improve business profits, enhance competitiveness, whilst reducing impact on the Environment and Climate Change.

It is estimated that there are energy efficiency savings of around £2bn still to be made by UK business. Most organisations can save 20 to 25% through simple energy efficiency measures alone.

Does ESOS Apply to my Business?

If your business has a physical presence in the UK and that entity meets the ESOS criteria, you will have to take steps to account for your energy consumption and identify savings opportunities.

Does My Business Fit the ESOS Criteria?

Large businesses must make an ESOS return to the Environment Agency. Organisation’s are designated as ‘Large’ if they:

Employ more than 250 people

Or,

Have a turnover of in excess of 50 million Euro’s or a balance sheet of in excess of 43 million Euro’s.

Or,

Has a presence in the UK and the above tests apply.

Public Sector organisation’s will not normally be subject to ESOS. Although some Universities, if they fit the criteria above and are not subject to the Public Sector Contract Regulations 2012, in England Scotland and Wales, or Public Sector Contract Regulations 2005 in Scotland.

Key ESOS Dates

6 December 2011 – 5 December 2015: First compliance phase
31 December 2014: Qualification date for first compliance phase
5 December 2015: Last date to submit formal notification for first compliance phase through the online notification system

The ESOS Criteria Applies To My Business, what should I do?

To comply with the regulations, a ‘Lead Energy Assessor’ will need to conduct an ESOS Assessment to:

Measure your total energy consumption for buildings, industrial processes and transport
Identify areas of significant energy consumption, accounting for at least 90% of your total energy consumption
Identify cost-effective energy efficiency recommendations for areas of significant energy consumption;
Report compliance to the Environment Agency by December 2015

ESOS Audits must be repeated out every 4 years

What does an ESOS Assessment Look Like?

The assessment period must include 31^st December 2013 and end by December 2015. Energy Savings identified and managed continuously up to and including this period is acceptable, but the deadline is December 2015,

The ESOS Assessment has no prescribed format but the Lead Assessor must confirm that it meets all the parameters and reports in all data as required by ESOS.

At least one site visit is required to ensure assessments are not theoretical Organisation’s with a number of similar sites or assets can take a proportionate approach, applying recommendations from one audit across the wider portfolio. If all cost saving energy improvements have been made in smaller sites, using the Assessment criteria from authorised agencies and no significant changes by way of output, refitting or upgrading have been made then New Assessments do not have to be made (although advice in this instance should be taken).

Exemptions from ESOS

Organisation’s which are fully covered by ISO50001 have an exemption from ESOS. In addition, businesses which have had Green Deal Assessments (GDA) or have Display Energy Certificates (DEC) in place may be excluded from this process. However GDA or DEC may not be sufficient so guidance should be sort from the Department of the Environment.

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.

Make Simple Changes, Save Money on your Domestic Energy Utility Bill – We Have!

Changing how we use our domestic electricity saved £278

Today we found out that we’d saved £278 pounds on our domestic quarterly energy bill through changing the way we use it within our home. We live in a property which does not have mains gas. We don’t have oil and instead run our heating and water from an Air-Source heat pump. Whilst this technology is deemed energy efficient it is certainly more costly to run than with a Ground-source Heat-Pump as we don’t have solar thermal or solar PV as an to generate electricity or provide hot water.

Don’t just change tariff

We have been in the property for 2½ years, it is a 500 year old barn conversion and has a high standard of insulation and glazing. However our monthly electric bill was still £555pcm. We have taken steps to fix our energy prices but are keenly aware that the price we are paying now will most likely be increased when we renegotiate our terms and conditions in 12 months and we wanted to see how much energy we could save and what, more importantly, the impact would be on our purses.

Steps to save domestic energy

We decided that we would put into practice what we preach and start to change the way were using the energy at home, so what did we do?

We turned the heating off in rooms which are unoccupied – if we have visitors we will turn the heating back on, it only takes an hour for it to get up to temperature
We turned unnecessary lights of – our home no longer looks like the titanic beaming out over the dark Bedfordshire countryside.
We heat the house to temperature in the early hours – our heating system is like a large storage heater, it is designed to release its heat throughout the day. So we heat the required rooms between 3am and 6am, when electricity is cheap.
We adjusted the room thermostats to reflect times of occupancy. We have programmed a boost period for those rooms where we spend most time in the evenings (sitting room and sons’ bedrooms) No longer is our thermostat programmed to heat the room from 4pm to 9pm, it is set to warm when we are in the room and switch off an hour before we go to bed.
We reduced the room-stat temperatures by between 1 and 3 degrees. Our halls are now heated at 19 Degree’s which is perfectly adequate, not to mention our boys’ rooms are set at 2 degrees cooler since they have the normal teenager electronic gadgetry in there which increases the temperature in their room space.
We put Hot Water on once a day – we get our hot water through an immersion heater. It now comes on once a day between 4am and 6am when it is time for cheap electricity. If we want a shower we manually switch on the hot water system, it takes about 15 mins to get to temperature.
We invested in draft excluders. This stops the warmth escaping through the external doors. We have also used them to seal bottom of the internal doors in empty rooms, to stop cold air escaping and hot air leaking in.
We now ensure all appliances, except for fridges and freezers, are switched off at the mains at night.
We shut the curtains at night, they act as a barrier for heat escaping through the glass.
10. We bought family onesies! – who needs heating when you’ve got your Wolf, Monkey, Skeleton or Reindeer all-in-one?

Energy savings, equal 20% of bill, don’t ‘worry’ make the change.

So over a 3 month period we have saved just under 20% of our house hold energy bill through changing our behaviour. Our own Gebs Energy Survey showed that, despite recent energy price increases and growing concern, most of our respondents had not taken any steps to reduce the way they consumed energy in their homes. Using our experience as an example we can honestly say there are some great savings to be had.

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.

UK Energy Companies Raise Prices in time for Winter…Well You Don’t Say?

Investment in Renewable Technology Blamed

This week we have again seen Energy Companies in the UK announce price increases of between 8 and 10 percent. Justification given for the price rises is the ‘investment in green technology’ and that they are at the mercy of the free market. The disappointing side of this is that we are not seeing from their leadership any acknowledgement or recognition of the hardship they are causing to the domestic consumer, just an apparent ‘take it or leave it’ attitude.

Keeping Warm Dropping Down The Scale of Importance

In conversations, social media and our our own straw poll, we have seen that the domestic customer is questioning whether they should be heating their home, whether the recommended 21 Degrees is too warm for their living accommodation. We have spoken with people who are genuinely worrying about whether they will be able to heat their homes this Winter. In a straw poll of consumers we have also heard that every time an appliance or piece of equipment is switched on, they are working out the cost vs benefit – and keeping warm is dropping down the scale of importance.

UK Government and Opposition Too Busy Point Scoring

Both our Government and the Opposition are busy trying to score points from each other, rather than answer the difficult question; just why is the UK Energy Industry so toxic to the consumer and what part do the policy makers play? The leadership of the EnCo’s have been called to a Public Committee to answer what is being publicised as ‘hard hitting questions’. However, similar recent processes have produced cynicism and apathy, amid allegations of the panel-members ‘glory hunting’ and ‘self-publicising’ and being ill-informed because of the lack of joined-up questioning. Toothless and costly with nothing productive arising for the public seems to be the general consensus.

Consumer Needs to Do All They Can

But we haven’t seen the changes required in the consumers’ attitudes either. Across the board there is minimal understanding and acknowledgement from people that they need to do all they can to ensure their homes are as energy efficient as possible. It can’t be ‘someone else’s’ responsibility. For some reason ‘put another jumper on’ has been vilified as a crass and insensitive statement when, in a very real sense, it is exactly what is required. Instead of worrying about where the next wind farm will be built, their energy – if you’ll pardon the pun – would be better utilised ensuring they insulate their homes, upgrade heating systems and controls, in ensuring they are aware of where energy is being wasted in their homes, in switching things off, not overheating their own homes, matching space heating to levels of occupancy and requirement times, etc etc

Don’t Be Distracted By Detail, Reduce Dependency

Rather than doing all they can to reduce the dependency on the EnCo’s, the public preoccupation is around challenging the legitimacy of Wind Turbines, large scale Solar Farms and UK renewable forms of generation. Giving the EnCo’s somewhere to hide, able to justify their outrageous profiteering and kWh increases, with the annual rhetoric of ‘we are at the mercy of the wholesale markets’ and ‘fossil fuel supplies are a dwindling resource’. Whilst celebrating the fact that we the public conveniently forget that they control both aspects of generation and supply and when we do are impotent to do anything about it. In summary it’s time to get annoyed with the right people for the right things and to begin to loosen their hold over us by doing as much we can to help ourselves without out waiting for the questionable desire of our politicians to act for us. We will have to sooner or later so lets do it sooner rather than later.

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?

Social Landlords: Simplified Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (RHI)

Changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

From Spring 2015

What’s In It For Me?

Goodbye Oil, Hello Renewable Energy

Barriers to change

Simplified RHI Funding

Writing An Energy Policy

Your Energy Policy

How Do I Start?

What Should It Include?

SAMPLE ENERGY MANAGEMENT POLICY

What is ESOS? What’s it all about then?

Energy Management First Steps – Simple Energy Audit

Make Simple Changes, Save Money on your Domestic Energy Utility Bill – We Have!

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

UK Energy Companies Raise Prices in time for Winter…Well You Don’t Say?

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