Energy Saving for Small Businesses - npower SME

Energy saving for small businesses

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How energy efficiency could save you money Contents
In the current economic climate, when profit margins are tight 1. About this guide
and businesses need to be as competitive as possible, it’s more
2. What’s stopping you?
important than ever to trim down your costs. But while you’re
chasing sales, negotiating deals and counting every penny, you’re 3. The facts & figures
probably also spending money on energy you don’t need.
4. Getting started
If you think reducing your carbon footprint will take too much time 4.1. Appoint an energy champion
and money, think again. This report looks at what stops some small 4.2. Establish the facts
businesses from introducing energy efficiency into the workplace 4.3. Go walkabout
and offers some simple tips about where you could start making
4.4. Take action
savings.
4.5. Review & monitor
Read on to find out how easy it could be to start cutting your 5. Quick wins for all small businesses
business energy bills today.
5.1. Lighting
Energy efficiency tip website disclaimer: npower is not responsible 5.2. Heating, ventilation & air conditioning
for the content of these websites and not withstanding any 5.3. Insulation & draught-proofing
references from these websites in this booklet, does not endorse or 5.4. Electrical equipment
make any representations about them or any material found there.
5.5. Refrigeration
Energy efficiency tips: the handy tips in this booklet are suggestions 5.6. Other equipment
and npower does not guarantee any savings. 6. Business-specific advice
6.1. Retail & convenience stores
6.2. Bakeries
6.3. Beauty salons & hairdressers
6.4. Printers
7. Longer-term investments
8. More information, practical help & incentives


1. About this guide 2. What’s stopping you?

There’s a lot of advice out there about how businesses can and There are lots of reasons why people resist change. Often we just
should save energy: turn off the lights, switch off computer fear hidden costs and risks, without really testing how real those
monitors, turn down your thermostat. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? costs and risks actually are.

The reality is that when you’re running your own business it can For example, the thought of introducing energy efficiency into your
feel like there are never enough hours in the day, and energy saving business might make you worry that:
often slips down the list, especially when some of the advice
doesn’t seem to apply to small businesses quite like yours. That’s • It will take too much time to work out what changes to
why we’ve brought together lots of useful advice into this one make
simple guide. • You’ll have to learn new skills
We look at why small businesses don’t always put energy saving • There’ll be paperwork and bureaucracy
into practice and provide some facts and figures to demonstrate
how you could reduce your business energy spend. Then we suggest • It will distract staff from getting on with their work
some quick wins that most small businesses can implement
followed by business-specific advice and thoughts about longer- • You might not recoup the financial investment you make
term investments.
• It won’t make enough difference to be worth the effort
At the end you’ll find a list of practical help and incentives
Sound familiar? And if you rent your premises, you might feel it’s
available to small businesses across the UK and links to more
just not worth ‘greening’ your workplace at all.
information.
We understand that spending time and money now for a return
Ready to see if you could save some money? Let’s get started!
later can seem like an effort and a risk, especially when you rent
your premises. But saving energy to reduce what you spend on
business electricity and business gas is actually one of the simplest
ways to increase profits.


3. The facts & figures

Over half of the UK’s small and medium sized enterprises i (SMEs)
have no system for measuring energy efficiency and yet many of
those that do introduce energy efficiencies are making savings of up
to 10% ii on their energy bills.

What could a saving like that mean for your bottom line? iii

Let’s say…

- Your business runs on a 7.5% profit margin

- You spend £5,000 a year on energy iv

- You don’t want to invest too much time or money
into energy saving so you implement some basic, no-cost Now think for a moment about how much time, effort and
improvements and reduce your bills by 10% investment it would take to make that amount of sales.
- You will have saved £500
Put it another way: if you’d just signed a new contract worth
- That’s the same amount of profit as you’d make from £3,750 or £100,000 you’d probably be feeling pretty good, but the
£3,750 of sales profit you make from the deal could be going straight out of the
business on energy you don’t even need.
And what if your business spends more on energy and you’re willing
to put extra effort and money into energy saving? Let’s say… If you still need persuading, consider this: the Department of Energy
& Climate Change predicts that by 2020 business energy bills
- Your business runs on a 10% profit margin for medium sized consumers will be 26% higher as a result of
climate change and energy policy v. Plus, we all pay VAT on energy
- You spend £50,000 a year on energy and as a business you also pay Climate Change Levy (CCL) on every
unit of energy used so you’re not only paying for energy you don’t
- You implement some more involved energy saving need, you’re also paying tax on it.
practices and reduce your annual bill by 20%

- You’ve just saved £10,000

- That’s the same amount of profit as you’d make from
£100,000 of sales


4. Getting started

If you’re ready to make some changes, here are some suggestions Ask your energy champions whether an energy monitor would
to help you manage the process: help them. They can research the various options, compare features
and recommend which monitor is the best buy for your business.
Monitors usually cost between £30 and £100 and allow you to see
4.1. Find an energy champion
how much electricity you’re using in real time.

It’s all too easy to pass the buck so the first thing you need to do Depending on the level of your energy consumption, a smart
is appoint someone to take charge of the process – your energy meter might be a worthwhile investment. Smart meters can be
champion. Of course, if you’re running a very small business, this installed to replace existing business gas, electricity and water
might have to be you! meters. Suppliers can make automatic meter readings, meaning
bills are accurate rather than estimated, and they usually come
There may well be people in your business who are passionate with a display unit so you can monitor and analyse usage patterns.z
about the environment, so why not harness their natural
enthusiasm? Most importantly, make sure your energy champions The government plans to roll out smart meters to all UK homes and
have the full support of your decision-makers, and the time and businesses between 2014 and 2019.
resources to tackle the job properly.
4.3. Go walkabout
If you have multiple sites or lots of employees, think about
appointing a few people to form an energy action team.
Send your energy champions on a walk round your business
premises, checklists in hand, to spot obvious issues. Depending on
4.2. Establish the facts
the size of your business, the number of sites you occupy, the type
of equipment you use and how energy-intensive you are, they may
You need to know how much energy your business uses and how need to do this more than once.
much it costs.
It might make sense to conduct surveys during normal working
At the very simplest level that might mean checking back through hours as well as after the building is closed, over lunch when
your bills for the past 12 months and totting up how much energy employees are away from their workstations, or when it’s sunny
you used in total in kWh (kilowatt hours). By keeping track of usage and when it’s cloudy. If the business has busy periods and quiet
for the next 12 months you can make a simple kWh comparison periods, survey at both times so you can compare consumption
to see if the efficiencies you introduce have reduced your energy levels.
consumption. Remember to compare kWh rather than what you
paid, because energy prices fluctuate. Ask your energy champions to compile a hit list of problems with
recommended solutions, organised in order of complexity and cost
If you have busy and quiet periods, consider breaking down your to fix. The tables in the next section should help them get started.
usage into weekly, monthly or quarterly totals so you can compare
like with like, for example Christmas trading periods last year
against the same period this year.


4.4. Take action 4.5. Review & monitor

Now you have your hit list of problems and solutions, decide Your energy champions need to schedule regular reviews to
which issues you want to tackle and when. Some changes can be check that changes are being enforced and people aren’t slipping
implemented straight away, others you may want to include in back into old habits. Reviews don’t need to be frequent or time-
planned maintenance or refurbishment schedules. Actions usually consuming – a quick walkabout once every quarter may suffice,
fall into one of the following categories: particularly if other employees have embraced the process and are
reporting issues as they spot them.
- Information-based, behavioural energy savings
Energy saving is a team effort and without the buy-in of all
These types of savings are based on the information you gather employees even the best intentions can hit the buffers. Ask people
about how your employees use energy across the business. They
typically cost nothing to implement but may involve a culture how the new systems, processes or equipment are working and
change and require people to do things differently. think about offering incentives to the business team or building that
reduces their energy consumption the most.
- Process-based energy savings
At regular intervals, sit down and look at the numbers to calculate
These kinds of savings are based on analysis of energy usage at how much energy and money you’re saving, where the best savings
different times of the day and during different business processes
(when machinery is active versus idle, for example). Changing are being made, and where it might be most beneficial to target
processes to optimise energy efficiency generally costs little to efforts and resources.
implement and rarely requires any capital expenditure.

- Investment-based energy savings

Your analysis may uncover specific systems or pieces of equipment
that are under performing in terms of energy efficiency. To improve
or replace these systems is likely to involve significant capital
expenditure but these kinds of improvement have permanence and
aren’t easily undone.

If solutions cost money, make sure your energy champions know
what they’re allowed to do and how much they can spend. Most
importantly, communicate with all employees about what is
changing and why so everyone is on board.


5. Quick wins for small businesses

Here are some of the most common issues many small businesses
face and the easiest no cost or low-cost changes you can make to
fix them.

5.1. Lighting

Look for ... Solution ...
Old incandescent bulbs in ceiling fittings, wall lights and plug in Replace with low energy compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. They
lamps: they are energy-inefficient, only last about 1,000 hours and use a fifth of the energy and last much longer. Modern low
turning them on and off also shortens their lifespan. energy bulbs brighten quickly and emit a better quality, warmer
light than earlier low energy bulbs on the market.
Dusty bulbs and lampshades: they block light, which means people are Make sure cleaners include bulbs and shades in their regular
likely to put on more lights to compensate. cleaning routine.
Lights being left on in storerooms, cupboards, toilets, meeting rooms The cheapest solution is to ask staff to turn off lights when
and other places that are only used periodically they leave rooms. Label switches and put up posters/signs as
reminders. Consider investing in timers or motion sensors if you
think staff will forget to switch lights off.
Lights being left on overnight Make it a rule that the last person out of every room turns off the
lights. If lights need to be left on for security, install timers so they
only come on after dark.
Lights on during the day in rooms with windows and skylights: light Speak to staff about why the lights are on. If the room is dark
levels should be adequate in rooms with windows and skylights, so even on sunny days, windows and skylights may need cleaning.
having artificial lighting on as well is wasting energy. Is anything blocking the window on the inside or outside, such as
filing cabinets or parked cars?
Look at providing task lighting for people furthest from windows
so the whole room doesn’t need to be lit just for their benefit.
Curtains or blinds shut during the day: natural daylight is the best form Ask staff why the curtains are shut. If it’s to reduce light falling on
of lighting so it’s a waste not to use it if you have it. monitors, adjust the angle of screens or move them away from
windows.
If it’s because the room is overheating because of sunshine (solar
gain), awnings or reflective blinds will help to cut out sunlight and
can be retracted once the sun has moved.
Net curtains: they block daylight, making it more likely that staff will If net curtains are essential for privacy, make sure they are clean
turn on artificial lights. and dust-free. If they’re not essential, bin them.


5.2. Heating, ventilation & air conditioning (HVAC)

Large pieces of furniture or display cabinets positioned in front of Move things away from the radiators. If it they can’t be moved,
radiators: warm air won’t circulate properly so staff may turn the get radiator boosters that sit on top of the radiator, to help
heating up to compensate. circulate the heat more efficiently.
Heating on in empty rooms Switch off radiators in empty rooms and put up signs to make
sure they’re not switched on again.
Windows open in heated rooms: a sign that the heating is on too high Turn the radiators down or off. If some people are too warm
for comfort. and others too cold, could you reposition work stations away or
towards heat sources?
Electric heaters: they continue to run and use energy even when the Get plug-in thermostats that can be set to switch the heater off
room is warm enough. when the room reaches a certain temperature.
Radiators with no control valve: they are probably on full blast and Get thermostatic valves fitted and then turn the radiators down
overheating rooms. to a comfortable temperature.
Radiators that feel cold towards the top or are not warming up even Bleed radiators regularly or fit automatic radiator bleeders.
when heating is on high: trapped air and gas build up in the radiator and
stop them performing properly.
Radiators under windows: most of the heat is probably going straight Install a shelf above the radiators to help throw heat forward
outside. into the room rather than upwards. You can buy purpose-made
radiator shelves that clip on to the radiator.
Radiators on external walls: cold exterior walls leach heat. Fit reflector panels or radiator foil behind radiators on external
walls (shiny side facing the room).
Large rooms with only a few radiators: heat might not reach people Buy radiator boosters. They sit on top of the radiator and help to
working furthest from the radiators, so they are turned up higher to circulate the warm air.
compensate. The people close to the radiators may then get too warm, Talk to staff. Some people like to be cooler than others and might
and open a window for some air. welcome moving further away from the radiators!
Doors left open between heated and cooled rooms: heating and Make sure people moving between heated and cooled areas
cooling systems will both be working harder than necessary to keep understand the issue and keep doors shut, or look at fitting an
both rooms at the right temperature. automatic door closer.
Photocopiers and other heat-generating equipment in air conditioned IRearrange what goes where, so heat-generating equipment is
rooms not kept in rooms that need to be cool.


5.2. Heating, ventilation & air conditioning (HVAC)

On and off times for heating and cooling systems Set controls so heating and air conditioning don’t come on too
early or go off too late. Set a gap or ‘dead band’ between heating
and air conditioning temperatures of about 50C to avoid them
coming on at the same time.
As the weather changes with the seasons make sure timings are
adjusted, and don’t forget to reset timers when the clocks change
from BST to GMT.
Thermostats Turn the heating down by a degree or two and don’t run air
conditioning too cold. Turning heating down by just 10 can
reduce bills by up to 8% vi .
Central heating pipes and hot water cylinders: are they insulated? To stop heat being lost as hot water travels around the system,
lag all pipes, valves, flanges and the cylinder. This is something
you can easily do yourself with a bit of research and planning.
Servicing records: engineers can make sure systems are running Make sure someone is responsible for booking regular services for
optimally by cleaning filters and condensers, and adjusting settings. boilers, central heating and air conditioning systems, especially if
they are offered as part of your service contract.


5.3. Insulation & draught-proofing

A third of the heat generated in a building is lost through gaps and
vents that allow warm air to leave and cold air to enter vii and yet
draught proofing a small commercial building is likely to cost less
than £100 viii.

Damaged and rotten window and door frames: a door with a gap just It’s a simple job to fit compressed door seals or rubber seals
3mm wide will let in as much cold air as a hole in the wall the size of around doors and windows. Attach brush strips or hinged flap
brick. draught excluders to the bottom of doors.
Draughty gaps in floorboards, skirting boards and loft hatches Fill small and medium sized gaps in floors with papier mache
made with torn newspaper and wallpaper paste, use a silicone
based filler or consider laying carpet with underlay.
Use sealant or caulk, sold in guns at all DIY stores, to fill gaps
around skirting boards.
Fit insulating strips around loft hatch frames to plug any gaps and
attach a polystyrene slab on the upper side of the hatch.
Letterboxes and open keyholes Buy and attach a letterbox flap/sleeve or brushes and fit metal
disc covers to keyholes to cut out draughts.
Unused fireplaces that are open to the outside Buy a chimney balloon to block the movement of air up and
down the chimney. If you want a more permanent and energy
efficient solution, get the chimney capped at the top and blocked
off permanently at the bottom.
Disused vents left behind after gas fires or boilers have been removed Cover or fill with expanding polyurethane foam but make sure
they are no longer needed for essential ventilation before closing
up.
Windows with no curtains or blinds Fit curtains or blinds. Natural daylight is essential for keeping
lighting bills low, but once it’s dark outside and the artificial lights
are on, closing curtains and blinds will help to cut down heat loss
via windows.
Lofts and roof spaces: over 20% of heat in a building is lost through the Laying down insulation in the roof space is a quick way to reduce
roof ix. your energy bills and could pay for itself in one to four years.


5.4. Electrical equipment

For some businesses, office equipment is responsible for around
30% of total energy consumption x so there is scope for big savings.
Buying second hand equipment may save you money initially but it
could be costing you more by being energy inefficient.

Computers left switched on when not in use: leaving a computer and Get groups of equipment all on the same multi-socket so they’re
monitor on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week costs £45 per year on average. easy to turn off in one go at the end of working hours.
Turning them off at the end of the day reduces this to £10 xi. If computers are left on so they can back up over night, change
back up settings to run as soon as the computer is switched on.
Desktop computers Laptops use 25% less energy than desktops xii . LCD monitors on
average use 50 to 70% less energy in on-mode than old-style
CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors xiii , so if you can’t afford to
upgrade to laptops, consider replacing CRT monitors.
Photocopiers permanently switched on ready for use A photocopier left on unnecessarily could increase your energy
bill by nearly £200 a year xiv. Save up photocopying to be done in
batches and don’t keep the machine in an air-conditioned room
where it will take longer to warm up ready for use.
Energy Star labels on all office equipment Energy Star is a global standard for energy efficient equipment.
Make a list of all equipment that doesn’t display an Energy Star
label and plan when they’ll be replaced with newer, more energy
efficient models.
Screensavers Ask all staff to turn off screensavers, which use energy, and
instead set their computers to hibernate after a period of
inactivity
Phone chargers If employees are constantly charging phones, consider investing
in a solar charger that runs of the sun’s rays and set up a central
charging station that won’t add to energy bills.
Power saving settings on computers Enabling power saving settings on all computer equipment could
reduce consumption by 80% xv. Set computers to go into sleep/
hibernate after a short period of inactivity, especially if they are
using a computer with an old tube or CRT monitor.
Stereos and TVs These are amongst the worst culprits for being left on standby.
Make sure someone is responsible for switching them off when
not in use.


5.5. Refrigeration

Fridges and freezers beside radiators, ovens or other heat-generating This forces refrigeration equipment to work harder than
equipment, or in sunny spots necessary to maintain the right temperature. Move it to cooler
spots, such as against exterior walls, if you can.
Fridges and freezers less than 10cm away from walls Coils work less efficiently when there isn’t room for air to
circulate, so pull units at least 10cm away from walls and keep
coils dust-free by vacuuming regularly.
Food and drink in fridges and chiller cabinets when it doesn’t need to Move food that doesn’t need to be chilled on to normal shelves
be chilled and make sure staff know what needs chilling and what doesn’t.
Half empty or overstocked fridges and freezers Fridges and freezers with lots of empty space have to work harder
to store cold air. You can fill up temporary gaps with bottles of
tap water, screwed up newspaper or bubble wrap or consider
downsizing to a smaller unit.
Too much stock in the fridge means products will probably be
touching the back wall and cold air won’t be able to circulate
properly.
Faulty seals Keep seals clean and replace any faulty seals that are letting out
cold air.
Open-fronted fridges and chiller cabinets Install transparent strip curtains to prevent warm air from the
environment entering the cabinets and cold air spilling out. They
could save your business around £100 per cabinet every year in
reduced energy bills xvi.
Night blinds help maintain food in chiller cabinets overnight.
Temperature settings Fridges and freezers set too high are working harder than
necessary and using up more energy to chill food below the
temperature needed. Energy consumption can be reduced by 2
to 4% if the set cooling temperature can be safely increased by
10C xvii.
Chiller cabinets stocking non-perishable items left on overnight Switching off cabinets containing drinks and other non-
perishables overnight could save up to 25% of running costs xviii.
Labels and produce covering fridge grills Remove price labels and clip-on strips from fridge grills to
improve efficiency by up to 15% xix.


5.6. Other equipment

Air pressure on compressed air equipment The Carbon Trust estimates that reducing compressed air
pressure by 10% can generate a 5% saving in energy. A small leak
within compressed air systems could cost more than £700 a year
in wasted energy xx so test for leaks and get them fixed.
Compressed air being used unnecessarily or left on Compressed air costs ten times that of electricity so only use it
when there is no alternative. And a 30kW compressor running
offload over lunchtime all year round could be costing your
business more than £200 in wasted energy a year xxi.
Electric motors: they account for nearly two thirds of UK industrial Save energy by switching motors off when they’re not needed
electricity use xxii but make sure switches are clearly labelled so the right motors
are turned on and off.
Analyse processes to see if it’s possible to run at full load for
shorter periods rather than operate continually with a partial
load.


6. Business-specific advice

In addition to the tips we’ve already outlined, here are some
energy saving measures you can introduce if you run a retail or
convenience store, bakery, beauty salon or hairdresser, or a print
shop.

6.1. Retail & convenience stores

By far the biggest energy spend for food retailers is refrigeration but
if your chillers are open-fronted or running too cold you’re probably
chilling shoppers too. Test the temperature of food in your
freezers and fridges. You may find you can turn them down a few
degrees without compromising food safety.

If you have alcoholic drinks displayed in chiller cabinets, turn Without regular maintenance of artificial lights, windows and
them off half an hour before you close for the night. Bottles will still skylights, light levels in stores can fall by 50% in 2 – 3 years.
be cold at closing. They won’t be chilled in the morning but this isn’t Establish a basic lighting maintenance programme and you could
a peak time for buying alcohol anyway.If you have multiple sites or reduce costs by up to 15% xxiv.
lots of employees, think about appointing a few people to form an
energy action team. Replace blackened, flickering or dim fluorescent tubes with tri-
phosphor coated ones. They provide a more natural, brighter light.
See the advice on refrigeration in the ‘Quick wins’ above for more Modern fluorescent tubes with high-frequency fittings use less
tips about making fridges and freezers run more efficiently energy, they don’t flicker or hum, and they can be dimmed.

Keeping stores bright and appealing helps draw in customers and In cold weather most shoppers wear warm outdoor clothing, so
boost sales but it’s worth considering whether you could lower you probably don’t need to turn your heating up much. Observe
light levels out of hours for stock taking, replenishing and cleaning. customers and if they’re shedding coats and jackets when they get
into the shop, turn the heating down to a more comfortable level.
Occupancy sensors that turn lights on when someone is there
are particularly good for stockrooms and toilets and can achieve Don’t operate an open door policy. Hot air will be spilling outside
savings of up to 30% on lighting costs xxiii. and cold air will be flooding in, meaning your heating bills will be
much higher than necessary. Close the shop door and put up clear
Fitting daylight sensors on internal and exterior security lighting ‘we are open’ signage. An ‘A’ board on the pavement outside will
and signage can help reduce energy consumption by making sure help direct passers-by through the door. Explain to customers why
they only come on when it’s dark outside and go off again as the you’ve closed the door and fit automatic door closers so it stays
sun rises. shut.


6.2. Bakeries

Bakeries tend to be relatively energy-intensive with the vast Start saving energy by introducing some good housekeeping
majority of energy spend going on running ovens for baking and on habits so staff always turn off lights in treatment rooms when
maintaining optimal temperature levels and humidity for baking, they’re not in use and don’t leave equipment such as stereos on
proving and cooling. standby.

Even if you’re using old, energy-inefficient machinery you can still Try experimenting with light levels. Artificial lighting throughout
reduce consumption by introducing some basic good practice. the salon could be kept lower than you think while still retaining an
attractive ambience by fitting dimmer switches and replacing some
For example, have clear start up and shutdown procedures for energy intensive halogen lights with coloured low energy LEDs.
big machinery. Analyse your processes to see if you can reduce Use brighter task lighting only where it’s needed, for example on
production gaps and stagger start up and shutdown of ovens, manicure tables and at cutting stations.
provers and coolers as products progress through the baking
process. You could also experiment with turning down the heating a degree
or two and see if customers are still comfortable. Adjust settings
Make sure any equipment using compressed air is well maintained. room by room, so radiators are only on high where customers need
See the section on other equipment in the ‘Quick wins’ above for to be particularly warm, such as massage rooms.
tips on compressed air management.
If cold air is spilling in through entrance doors, fit automatic closers
If you’re due to replace equipment, gas-fired provers have been or think about installing a second door to create an airlock. You
found to be more efficient than steam-heated provers and direct- could replace your existing entrance with a revolving door or
fired ovens are more efficient than indirect ovens, largely because partition the reception off from the rest of the space to cut down
they are able to respond to changes in production rates more on heat transfer.
efficiently and have automatic dampers to control fans xxv.
If you have the opposite problem and your salon is too warm,
You may be able to improve the performance of older equipment rather than putting on energy-intensive air conditioning, could you
by fitting variable speed drives where appropriate. cut out the heat from sun pouring through windows (solar gain)
by applying solar reflective film or by fitting retractable awnings or
Check freezer temperatures are not set too low. Not only will you slatted blinds? Or move heat-generating equipment into the cooler
be wasting energy running the freezer too cold but ovens will have parts of the building.
to work harder to bake items that start too cold.
Make sure staff uniforms aren’t making people too hot or too cold
If you also have a shop on the premises, follow the good practice or they could be turning the heating and air conditioning up higher
advice above for retail & convenience stores. than necessary for the sake of a putting on or taking off a cardigan!

6.3. Beauty salons & hairdressers Washing machines and tumble driers eat up electricity so only
wash and tumble dry towels when you have a full load. Check
that your machines are rated as energy-efficient and replace old
Beauty salons and hairdressers are often brightly lit with energy- machinery as soon as possible. Consider upgrading to energy
intensive halogen downlights and heated by the permanent buzz efficient hairdryers and get your boiler regularly serviced or
of hairdryers and other equipment. The main energy cost is usually replaced with an energy efficient model.
lighting, hot water, heating and air conditioning.


6.4. Printers

Modern design and print studios are energy-hungry businesses with
large litho printers and reprographic equipment that needs to be
kept at just the right temperature and humidity.

A good first step is to analyse your workload and see what
improvements can be made to your processes. At quiet times it
might be better to shut down the plant and allow for the workload
to build up again rather than run small batches. And machines
left idling, even for a short delay between jobs, waste substantial
amounts of energy.

Avoid confusion by clearly labelling switches so employees know
what to switch off and what to leave on.
If you leave loading bay doors open all day to allow people and
Think about getting a specialist engineer to look at your printing vehicles easy access in and out of your factory or warehouse floor,
presses. Tweaking internal motors, adding variable speed drives hot air will be escaping and cold air will be flooding in. Observe how
or fitting timers could make machines run more efficiently. Also, the loading bay is used to see if there are times in the day when
regularly check air compression systems used for cleaning printers. doors or shutters could be closed or brought partially down, or fit
Repair leaks and reduce air pressure if possible to save wasting plastic strip curtains to cut down heat transfer.
energy.
Sometimes doorways to loading areas are left open because they
Reprographic equipment is often left in sleep mode overnight are a hassle to close. If that’s the case, think about replacing them
rather than switched off, in case it doesn’t reboot properly the next with rapid roll doors. They’re not cheap but they could pay for
day. But there’s no reason why you should have any problems and themselves in lower energy bills quicker than you think xxvi.
switching equipment off overnight will definitely save you money.
If your business is very energy-intensive, speak to your supplier
Make sure doors to air-conditioned rooms are kept shut, about voltage optimisation and the possibility of getting a smart
particularly if they link with rooms full of heat-generating meter fitted.
machinery.


7. Longer-term investments

There are lots more, investment-based energy saving actions
you can take. Sometimes it’s best to schedule more costly
improvements as part of a planned refurbishment. Make sure there
is a good business case for the change and that expenditure can be
recouped against any savings you’ll make.

Investments in certain kinds of energy efficient equipment attract
100% first year capital allowances so you can write off the cost
against your taxable profits.

Here are just some of the investment-based energy savings you
could consider introducing:

- Fitting control systems to heating, lighting, hot water and
cooling systems

- Reducing heat loss by improving the fabric of your building,
including looking at cavity wall insulation, re-rendering exterior
walls, insulating interior walls, replacing single glazing with
double glazing and lowering ceiling height by fitting suspended
ceilings

- Talking to your energy supplier about voltage optimisation to
ensure electricity is not being supplied at a higher voltage than
you need

- Installing energy generating equipment such as solar panels and
wind turbines

- Getting specialist help to fine-tune motors and fit variable speed
drives

- Upgrading or replacing old equipment and machinery with
newer, energy efficient models

- Investing in advanced cooling/heating systems such as
evaporated cooling for warehouses and ground source heating
pumps

The Carbon Trust offers detailed information about these and many
more capital investment improvements you can make. You’ll find
links to the Carbon Trust and other sources of advice in the next
section.



The Carbon Trust Energy Saving Trust

www.carbontrust.com/publications www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Organisations/Business-services

The Carbon Trust is an independent organisation that provides The Energy Saving Trust gives impartial advice to businesses and
free advice to businesses and the public sector on saving money offers a variety of services including accreditation and certification,
through energy efficiency. Visit their website for a range of practical training, webinars, online tools and consultancy, plus:
tools, guides, posters and reports, plus:
- Green Deal support for SMEs in London, Kent & Medway
- Empower
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/organisations
www.carbontrust.com/resources/tools/empower
Free support for businesses that fulfil certain criteria and are looking
Software from the Carbon Trust to help engage staff in energy to implement energy saving changes..
efficiency.
- Small business loans for Scottish businesses
- Carbon Trust SME Network
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Organisations
www.carbontrust.com/resources/tools/sme-carbon-network
Fixed rate loans for qualifying businesses in Scotland of £1,000
An online community for SMEs to share knowledge and best to £100,000 to help with the cost of installing renewable energy
practice. technologies or measures to reduce energy consumption.

Chartered Institution of Building Service Engineers (CIBSE) Energy Energy Services & Technology Association (ESTA)
Centre
www.esta.org.uk
www.cibseenergycentre.co.uk
ESTA is the membership organisation for companies that supply
The CIBSE Energy Centre has a range of publications on making products, systems and services relating to the energy efficiency of
business premises more energy efficient. buildings.

Department of Energy & Climate Change Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA)

www.decc.gov.uk www.etl.decc.gov.uk/etl

Visit the section on funding and support for a list of all funding Information about tax relief for energy-saving products.
opportunities available for businesses.



EU Energy Star

www.eu-energystar.org/en

European community-wide programme for labelling energy-
efficient office equipment, visit the website for an energy calculator
and database of Energy Star-rated products.

Green taxes, reliefs and schemes for businesses

www.gov.uk/green-taxes-and-reliefs

Detailed guidance from the UK government on the latest
regulations and schemes.

ISO 14000 – Environmental management

www.iso.org

The ISO 14000 family addresses various aspects of environmental
management and provides practical tools to identify and improve
environmental performance.

National Energy Foundation

www.nef.org.uk

NEF is an independent charity offering information, advice and
practical services such as site surveys to improve energy efficiency.

npower SmartStart

www.npower.com/smartstart

npower SME customers have access to energy saving advice and
support through our SmartStart initiative, including an expert
helpline on 0845 070 4019.


i
SMEs are usually classed as businesses with up to 250 employees. xv
Lower energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, lower energy bills:
practical energy efficiency advice for businesses, npower
ii
nBEI (8), npower Business Energy Index 2011
Retail. Energy management – the new profit centre for retail businesses,
xvi

iii
These are generic calculations. Carbon Trust

iv
Average SME energy spend (electricity and gas combined) is £5,700 (The Retail. Energy management – the new profit centre for retail businesses,
xvii

Independent, March 2009) while some medium sized enterprise spend Carbon Trust
more than £100,000 (Ofgem, March 2011)
xviii
v
Estimated impacts of energy and climate change policies on energy prices Carbon Trust
and bills, July 2010, Department of Energy & Climate Change
In the spotlight, http://www.conveniencestore.co.uk/campaigns/in-the-
xix

vi spotlight/233292.article
xx
Compressed air: opportunities for business, Carbon Trust
vii
Building fabric, Carbon Trust
xxi
viii
How to implement draught proofing, Carbon Trust practical energy efficiency advice for businesses, npower

ix
Building fabric, Carbon Trust Motors and drives: introducing energy saving opportunities for business,
xxii

Carbon Trust
x
practical energy efficiency advice for businesses, npower Retail. Energy management – the new profit centre for retail businesses,
xxiii

Carbon Trust
xi

xxiv
Carbon Trust
xii
Looking for a new computer, www.greenlivingworks.com
Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator: Guide to the industrial bakery
xxv

sector, Carbon Trust
xiii
CRT vs LCD monitor, www.eu-energystar.org
xxvi
How to implement rapid roll doors, Carbon Trust
xiv



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