Guest Blog: Jaqui Fairfax – How do you tackle an iceberg of energy costs?

Driving down the price of energy is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to minimising energy costs. Companies of all sizes fighting for survival or looking to […]

Driving down the price of energy is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to minimising energy costs.

Companies of all sizes fighting for survival or looking to improve their bottom line and protect it from future price rises are now getting energy efficiency measures, not just because they want to but because they have to. We are moving into a carbon neutral era and with this people and businesses have to adapt.

Companies are also looking to improve their Corporate Social Responsibility standing and see setting and monitoring green targets as an efficient way to achieve this.

Not just a poster girl for energy saving

The quickest and cheapest win is still obtained from simply raising staff awareness – the Carbon Trust has a guide on how to implement an energy efficiency campaign and drum up staff buy in. There are also some pretty nifty downloadable posters. (See the Carbon Trust)

Some businesses will not just be looking at how they can manage internal opinion on energy efficiency but will look at other methods such as energy generation and building upgrades. These would be their longer term goals.The question is, where to start and how to manage the energy efficiency improvements?

The UK government along with the EU have put in place strict carbon targets. The EU’s 20-20-20 target means that the energy industry is shifting. With a plethora of technologies, schemes and tools the best option is not always clear and companies are turning to consultants for help.

CUB UK’s new Performance Package has been designed in response to this demand. It encompasses all possible energy efficient methods a company would want and need, with the added benefit of an energy management company aiding them from start to finish. Their Energy Management Service is tailored to the client’s specific needs and covers renewable technologies, compliance, energy auditing, voltage optimisation, ISO standards, CRC, CCAs, green energy sources and many other areas.

Snap up that funding, sharpish

Many companies are looking at technology upgrades or replacements rather than new solutions due to the capital cost of installing new measures.

However, now is a good time to invest in energy efficiency projects as currently there are several localised funding pots out there to help with capital costs.

But funding won’t be there forever, so companies should make the most of these whilst they can to avoid that massive energy iceberg.

Jaqui Fairfax is Chairman of CUB UK.

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