A multiplicity of more or less sophisticated devices are now available to businesses looking to save money on their energy bills.
Kitchen, bedroom and bathroom manufacturer JJO installed voltage control technology at its Lancashire site, where 400 employees work. James Casey, health, safety and environmental manager at the business explains that the technology balances electricity output, reducing the main input voltage and regulating the output so equipment does not consume more power than necessary.
‘It is already providing us with substantial savings and has vastly reduced our CO2 emissions,’ he adds. The creator of the device, Claude Lyons, reports that JJO has reduced its energy consumption by 480,000 kilowatt hours since last year.
Corporate removals business Crown Relocations has installed many energy saving devices, including power consumption monitors and energy efficient lighting, across its UK offices. The company has also slashed its water usage by installing devices in kitchens and bathrooms, such as specially adapted kettles.
It isn’t all about the technology, though. Crown has also strived to change employee ehaviour, for example through its ‘lights off Friday’ campaign. Environmental compliance manager Steve Slade says: ‘Every Friday in the summer where it is very bright outside, we made a conscious effort not to turn the lights on. That saved us a total of £1,000 a day – an immense amount of money.’
According to energy giant EON, one in five UK SMEs now has energy efficient equipment in the workplace. Government help is available for those installing such devices in the form of enhanced capital allowances, which can return up to 100 per cent of the cost by allowing companies to write it off against tax.
JJO’s total installation costs came to £50,000, which Casey expects to see paid back in less than two years. Crown Relocations’ Slade says the water-saving devices and electricity monitors have paid for themselves within 12 months.
The benefits of energy saving technology may extend beyond the financial. Casey comments: ‘The positive publicity generated from our improved carbon footprint has been outstanding. We have won numerous awards and accreditations as a direct result of implementing the technology.’
Slade chimes in: ‘The technology has improved our engagement with our employees and they are now more aware of our goals when it comes to energy consumption. Many have come to me and said they have installed similar devices in their own homes.’
