Big energy users in Wales are being offered free energy surveys to help them pinpoint ways to cut their energy bills.

The Welsh Carbon Trust is fully funding the energy audits for Welsh businesses which spend more than £30,000 on energy.

The Carbon Trust estimates UK firms could save over £1.6bn on their energy bills by investing in energy efficiency measures – and the hope is these Welsh energy surveys could save businesses £30million.

Energy consultancy Utilitywise will work out a practical action plan specific to each business after analysing the firms’ building fabrication, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, water use, lighting and all electrical systems including machinery and any monitoring systems.

Tim Hipperson, Energy Services Director at Utilitywise said: “Our energy surveyors will analyse and provide a full report on a customer’s current electricity and gas consumption, as well as their carbon dioxide emissions and annual energy spend, that will provide firms with the business case for making changes.”

Making employees aware of the energy use could end up making all the difference, he added: “A lot of the energy saving projects focus on changes in staff behaviour, for example, which can frequently result in considerable savings for very little investment in equipment. We clearly set out the payback period for any projects and identify the projects that provide the quickest return on investment.”