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Top tips to helping your business reduce its carbon footprint

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In a landmark report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – published in October 2018 – the world’s leading climate scientists warned that there are only 12 or so years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C, beyond which even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people – as reported by Theguardian.com.

It’s thus more imperative than ever that businesses do their utmost to improve their green credentials (whilst also saving money on energy overheads). Here some small but significant ideas:

Use Renewable Energy: Fossil fuels — coal, petroleum, and natural gas — are the main source of energy, producing the vast majority of fuel, electricity, and heat used by people across the globe. It’s these fossil fuels that are the primary contributors to the global warming epidemic. Renewable energy is one of the most important solutions to global warming. You might not be able to build an entire solar field (like Google) but you can ensure that your energy company has you enrolled in the ‘greenest’ programme possible.

Go Paperless – large-scale deforestation is also one of the major contributors to global warming, so why not go paperless (wherever possible)? We have the technology to run businesses on as little paper as possible; embrace this with e-receipts, digital job applications, e-signatures etc!

Recycle and USE Recycled Products – most businesses are on top of recycling, with plastic, cans and paper slotted into the appropriate bins…but what about buying post-consumer recycled products (boxes, cups, packaging, paper etc.) for business use?

Reduce Energy Use – use LED bulbs instead of light bulbs, upgrade appliances to ones that have an Energy Star rating, switch off systems at close-of-day and use a programmable thermostat to keep the office temperature steady – for example. The little things have a cumulative effect and can make a big difference.

It will take everyone doing their bit to combat global warming! Lead the way by reducing the environmental footprint of your business.

For all your energy related questions, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

Sources: “How to improve your green energy credentials” – Britishgas.co.uk; Renewable Energy Is Critical To Stopping Global Warming” – Cleantechnica.com; Energy and Global Warming – Biologicaldiversity.org

Why businesses should consider the WHOLE life costing of a boiler

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It’s important, when looking at the cost of a new boiler, to consider the ‘whole life cost’ of the product rather than just the initial purchase price. When working to a budget it’s easy to be distracted by the capital cost of a new boiler and how it will affect finances short term, forgetting the operational costs that are equally important to bottom line business profits.

In order to reduce overall expenditure, ‘whole life costing’ must be contemplated as part of a budget. The expected life of a boiler would likely include: a review of anticipated energy usage, installation costs, maintenance and servicing costs – in addition to the initial cost of the item. This will offer a more realistic cost analysis of the overall operation, maintenance and repair of the boiler.

The type of boiler purchased for your business can make a massive difference to overall expenditure; deciding to invest in one particular product over another could result in a massive saving over time. For example:

  • Condensing boilers can achieve over 90 per cent thermal efficiency compared with 70 to 80 per cent with non-condensing models. Replacing a non-condensing boiler and updating controls can save up to 25% per cent of energy costs, depending on consumption.
  • A boiler’s modulation range (the difference between its maximum and minimum output, normally expressed as a ratio can have an effect on overall energy use (and cost): a wide modulation ratio is particularly useful for premises with varying demands, as the boiler can modulate its output accordingly.
  • If a boiler is not properly maintained, it will have a shorter life span and heating costs can increase by up to 30 per cent.

In a nutshell, looking beyond the gas boiler to the whole system and building could result in even more efficiency gains and reductions in energy use.

For all your energy related questions, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

Sources: Professional Heating & Plumbing Installer, Hamworthy Heating

Business leaders share tips on how to minimise energy use

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New smart meter data has revealed that small businesses use 46 per cent of their total electricity between 6pm and 8am – when no one is at work (usually). The experts from Britishgas.co.uk reckon that a few simple changes could cut office energy bills by up to 20 per cent!

In an effort to help companies save costs on energy, business leaders taking part in The Business Show, the UK’s largest business exhibition, discussed the importance of saving energy as well as what they do to cut down on their energy use at work, and here’s what they came up with:

“We had a survey done of hoe energy efficient we are and, off the back of that, we changed a number of things; we changed the way our light switches work so if you leave the room they’ll turn off automatically.” – Steven Bartlett (social media agency Social Chain).

“I think energy efficiency is vital. Not only does it save you money but, in this world that we live in, we have to preserve energy.” – Touker Suleyman (Dragon’s Den).

“It’s never been an easier time, with the internet and mobile apps, that you can monitor [energy use] in real time.” – Jonathan Dowden (Sage One)

“I think that there are huge savings that you can make in smart metering. You can actually take really big steps to cut your bills.” – Bill Morrow (founder and CEO of Angels Den investment platform).

“Even if it’s just a start and you roll things out in a sequence…make sure everything is on standby or switched off.” – Annie Hunter (Consultant, How2)

“If you can be energy efficient and reduce your energy costs then, absolutely, every penny counts in a small business, in a growing business; therefore [energy saving] is vitally important.” – Brett Akker (Founder, Lovespace).

If you’d like further information on how your business can cut down on energy costs, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

Source: Britishgas.co.uk – “Business leaders discuss how they cut down on energy bills.”