Aug 18 2005
Improving energy efficiency in buildings could help businesses to make substantial savings on their annual energy bills. Npower estimates that energy inefficient offices and factories could be costing UK firms around 1£.1 billion each year. However, encouraging staff to adopt a number of energy-saving tips could significantly reduce running costs.
"The first step any business should take is to involve all staff from the outset to ensure everyone is aware of the importance of energy efficiency," said Joan Coe, spokeswoman for npower business.
Lighting can account for up to 50 per cent of the electricity costs in an office but turning off lights in unused rooms or installing modern slimline fluorescent tubes that last longer and use less energy can have help lower annual electricity costs. Businesses could also consider fitting Presence Detectors (Passive Infra Red detectors - PIRs) in areas that are rarely used to ensure that lights are automatically switched off. Office equipment such as computers, fax machines and copiers use a large amount of energy so firms should encourage workers to ensure they switch equipment off when not in use.
For example, a standard photocopier left on overnight uses the same amount of energy used to print around 5,000 A4 copies.