Top energy-saving resolutions for the New Year

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The start of a new year is always a great time to rethink strategy and implement new business ideas. People are more receptive when the year changes, which is a huge opportunity for transitioning a company ethos.

OK, so you’ve got your pen and paper out and are ready to start your New Year’s resolution list – change the menu in the canteen, spend less money, order new stationary, have the walls re-painted, jack up your online presence, hire an admin assistant…sure, all great ideas. How about one more? Energy saving!? It’s a ‘two birds with one stone’ kind of resolution –saving your business money and making the world a healthier place. It’s a no-brainer, really.

You agree? Great. Here are some tips to get your office operating as efficiently as possible in the new year (thanks to the experts from Providerpower.com and Wegowise.com):

  • Get a professional business energy audit – the logical, first step to energy saving. A professional will come to your business and assess your place of work from top-to-bottom, pinpointing where energy is escaping and offering suggestions on which upgrades you should consider for the most benefit – things like energy efficient lighting, weather proofing or a programmable thermostat. Just an fyi: Around 25 per cent of a building’s energy usage can be chalked up to inefficient appliances and lighting.
  • Make one energy-efficiency investment a month. Even though energy-efficient upgrades pay for themselves over time, there is typically an upfront cost. That’s why you might want to consider spreading out your investments.
  • Start small – power strips are a good place to kick off your energy-saving resolution. They’re inexpensive and will pay for themselves in no time. ‘Phantom’ or ‘vampire’ energy usage (the process by which plugged-in electronics or appliances still use small amounts of electricity even though turned off) is easy to curb. All your peripheral, energy-sucking devices like televisions, computers, printers, lamps, toasters, coffee makers, and cell phone charges can be plugged into a power strip and controlled by one switch. The energy savings per day may be minimal, but over time it will add up!
  • Use less. This philosophy is so simple, yet so constructive. ‘Using less’ encompasses using less electricity by turning off the lights when you leave a room or turning appliances of at the plug when closing the office at the end of the day.
  • Champion energy savings among your employees. It’s vital to get the whole business on board. Make sure they know they are a crucial part of the success of this endeavour and show them how their changes – big and small – make a difference.
  • Benchmark your overall energy usage. Staring down 12 months of utility bills can be daunting, but peer-to-peer benchmarking is a key step toward seeing how your current energy usage stacks up, prioritising your retrofit projects, and ultimately making a dent in utility payments.
  • Set an energy-saving goal that will both challenge you, and serve as an attainable milestone to reach by year-end. Aim to reduce energy use by 5 per cent or cut your electricity use by 10 per cent. Whatever the goal; set it, and work towards it.

Reducing your business’s carbon footprint is a worthwhile, feel-good initiative! If you’d like further information, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

Sources: Providerpower.com – “Energy-Efficient Resolutions for the New Year and Wegowise.com – “Energy-Efficient New Year’s Resolutions”

BT campaign encourages sport fans to champion sustainability in the workplace

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As a business owner, it’s one thing adopting sustainable energy practices in the workplace but another thing entirely is getting employees to buy into it…but there is a way!

According to a poll taken in a recent meeting between telecoms giant BT and delegates from the sports industry plus sustainability experts from around the world, more than half (55 per cent) of those present agreed that sports fans and team mates are the best way to influence others to take action on climate change.

If businesses can turn their resident sports fan into a sustainability champion, they’ll be on their way to meeting target reductions, savings on costs and achieving sustainability goals.

In an effort to encourage sports fans to ‘fight the good fight’, BT has teamed up with Olympic and America’s Cup sailor Sir Ben Ainslie to launch “100% Sport” – a global campaign aimed at inspiring sports fans around the world to take action to tackle climate change and reduce carbon emissions by using renewable energy.

This initiative offers a platform for individual sports fans, athletes like Sir Ben Ainslie, sports teams and clubs as well as partners, to speak out on a global scale in support of renewable energy – making it the new ‘norm’. Ainslie’s team, as an example, is now pioneering fuel-efficient boats made from recyclable composites, working with sustainability partner 11th Hour Racing. Its new team base is also powered through only solar and renewable energy sources.

Is there a sailing fan occupying a cubicle in your office? Someone who could be your company’s sustainability champion? You may never even know it, which is why Steve Malkin from GreenWise business has put together a five step programme that will help you to engage the sports fan in your business:

  • Take a survey – surveying your staff is great first step to unlocking the talent within your organisation to make change happen. Planet First’s ‘Sustainability Engagement Survey’ can help you find the ‘positive greens’ within your organisation. But remember to also ask them what sport team they follow and what their favourite sport is.
  • Make a pledge – sport is a great activity around which to launch a pledging campaign for a sustainable initiative. Do Nation, a Planet First partner, offers an online pledging app to enable individuals or organisations to do this.
  • Work in the community – explore how you and your staff could lend a hand to do something positive for your local sports club. Local councils demand that sports clubs get involved in their local communities, so they’ll probably bite your hand off if you get in touch and offer your services,
  • Reward positive action – make it worthwhile for those sports fans in your organisation who want to do something positive. In return for taking action on climate change, reward them with a ticket to see their favourite team play, for example.
  • Get in touch – with a sustainability engagement specialist who will help you make your engagement programme really take off.

Ben Ainslie says of the initiative; “I believe sport can extend far beyond the race course, the pitch or the court. We have a unique opportunity to harness the power of fans around the world. Because when we come together, we can have a huge impact.”

Rallying support for renewable energy in your company could not only change the way you do business (for the better) but it’s also one step closer to changing the world!

For more information on the “100% Sport” campaign, visit the BT Website and for more detail on how to get sports fans in your business involved, read “5 ways to turn the sport fan in your workplace into a sustainability champion” at blog.greenwisebusiness.co.uk.

If you’d like further information, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

A five-step plan to help your business save water, energy and money

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Water is essential for business. A typical office uses around 50 litres of water per full-time employee each day. Businesses like gyms, hotels and restaurants use far more for cleaning, showers and cooking, while factories and plants can use thousands of litres in their processes. But no matter the size of your business, saving water will increase profits through lower water bills and lower energy bills (as a result of hot water reduction), not to mention the (positive) environmental impact.

Managers and business owners might not realise it but there are lots of opportunities to reduce the amount of water a business might uses, which is why Thameswater.co.uk has put together a business pack that includes a five-step plan that will enable companies to save water, energy and money. The crux of the initiative is that saving water should be a key business target, and here’s how:

• Step 1 Find out how much water you use

The aim of Step 1 is to help you understand how much water you’re using in your business as well as where that water is being used. You can do this using your past water bills on their own or, in addition, by reading your water meter on a regular basis.

• Step 2 Identify ways to cut water consumption

Before you can put any ideas into practice it’s worth looking at which areas of your business have the potential to save you water. There are two key areas to consider: leaks and water consumption of fixtures and fittings.

• Step 3 Draw up an action plan

Having an action plan is essential if you want to reduce your water consumption and reduce your bills. Having a plan helps you to prioritise your actions, communicate these with other parts of the business and motivate others to make it a success. Having spent time getting a clear picture of how water is being used on site, you should also be aware of any simple ways to save that may exist.

• Step 4 Implement your action plan

This step will give you some ideas on how you can put your plan into action. It will discuss fixing leaks and identifying excess water pressure to reduce the likelihood of leaks in the future as well as where to source water-saving devices.

• Step 5 Measure, monitor and report success

To report your achievements, either internally or externally, you’ll need to ensure that you measure and monitor the results. This will provide you with regular and reliable data to show the effectiveness of the improvement measures you’ve implemented. It will also be useful as evidence of the savings you have made.

The Thames Water business pack provides detailed advice on how to make these five steps a reality for your company, whether you’re managing a production line, restaurant or office block. CLICK HERE for more details.

If you’d like further information, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

Worcester comes out top in Which? award!

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Thinking about a new boiler for your business? Need help choosing the right one? Worcester should be top of your list; the annual boiler report for consumer body Which? has just named the brand’s Greenstar gas-fired boiler range ‘Best Buy’ for 2015 – the sixth consecutive year that Worcester has claimed the award!

The Greenstar boilers earned an overall score of 79 per cent based on customer scores and engineer views. The manufacturer scored five stars for reliability, customer satisfaction and build quality as well as achieving the maximum star rating in five of the six categories.

The annual survey compared eleven manufacturers in total.

The results were calculated from the reviews of 10,779 owners and 110 Trusted Trader heating engineers.

A summary of the report noted that Worcester offers: “Fantastic build quality and easy to source parts and spares…[with] extremely reliable products across the range.” In summary “…a Worcester, Bosch Group gas boiler is worthy of its Best Buy status.”

The company’s oil-fired boiler range was also ‘highly recommended’ by the report.

Martyn Bridges, Director of Marketing and Technical Support at Worcester, Bosch Group comments: “The Which? Customer Scores are based on owner’s satisfaction and how likely they are to recommend the brand. The fact we are able to achieve this status for a sixth successive year is a real testament to quality and reliability we consistently achieve, with no other manufacturer scoring higher on these points.

“While products play an important role, installers are vital to helping us retain this award, by maintaining installation best practice and providing homeowners with thorough advice. As we head into the colder months, households will rely on their heating systems more and as such, we are pleased to be recognised as offering highly efficient solutions with consistent support mechanisms in place should they be needed.”

The Greenstar gas- and oil-fired range (https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/products/boilers/directory) is vast and there are boilers suited to properties of all sizes. CH Systems is a proud installer of Worcester products and would be happy to talk you through the boilers and discuss the options most viable for your business. We welcome any questions!

If you’d like further information, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

Source: Phamnews.co.uk – “WORCESTER EARNS SIXTH BEST BUY AWARD FROM WHICH?

How a sustainable water strategy will save your business money

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The conservation of energy has been a hot topic for the last few years. The effects of global warming have forced the world to take note and take action; governments, businesses and home owners have been (correctly) burdened with the social responsibility to do what they can to reduce their carbon footprint.

Energy – gas and electricity – is an obvious expense on a balance sheet and so most businesses are naturally inclined to focus a great deal of effort on finding ways to minimise this expense. As it so happens, decisions made for economic reasons often turn out to be the sustainable route as well, a happy coincidence, but there is a cost that companies often overlook, and that is water.

Water is usually overshadowed by the price of energy but it bears hidden costs that it would benefit businesses to take note of, such as the carbon and monetary costs of supplying that water, heating it and treating it after use. In other words, water is intrinsically linked to energy use and carbon emissions – so why aren’t we trying harder to save it?

Recent estimates suggest that if we continue business as usual, global demand for water will exceed viable resources by 40 per cent by the year 2030. Policymakers are thus under pressure to tighten water regulations amidst growing concern about scarcity and pollution. As an outcome, businesses will be compelled to implement sustainable water strategies. This means recycling more water and looking at new ways in which to develop goods and services with a much smaller water footprint. And for smaller companies, awareness is a good starting point.

Martin Stuchtey, director of the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, says that businesses need to shift to a circular economy for water:

“We need a completely new mindset of not contaminating water in the first place. We need to treat it like a durable and keep it in closed loops; or like a consumable, but return it in a way so that it is cheap or beneficial to take into second or third use.”

Companies should start to look beyond their fences; to collaborate with others – experts in the field – and encourage respective suppliers, partners, customers and others to work with them in their effort to implement water-saving plans. Industry sectors also need to join forces to manage water more efficiently, Stutchey argues:

“There might be ways that a handshake between the agriculture and industries might provide the better solution. Industrial grey water, if it’s not too contaminated, could in fact be an interesting input into agriculture. We need to go across sectors and manage water in more effective and circular ways.”

The good news is that an effective water management plan can transform the economic prospects of a business – if ever there was an incentive!

For more information on water sustainability or any plumbing-related issues feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc

Sources: Theguardian.com – “A sustainable water strategy is good for business”; “Six thing business needs to know about water and sustainability” and Mckinsey.com – “Rethinking the water cycle”

Government axes support for Green Deal!

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The Government has announced that it will offer no further financial support to the Green Deal Finance Company (GDFC), citing lack of interest and concerns over industry standards as reasons for the decision.

The Government’s withdrawal of funds will have no impact on existing Green Deal Finance Plans or existing Green Deal Home Improvement Fund applications and vouchers.

The ‘Green Deal’ rolled out in 2013 as an initiative designed to help business and home owners employ more green technologies in and on their properties. Applicants were granted loans that would be paid back through energy bills over a period of time. The scheme also offered cash-backs and incentives on things such as double-glazing, insulation and boilers.

For both home owners and businesses, the building would effectively be responsible for the costs of all the improvements and these costs would be repaid through the energy bill related to the property. Upon the sale of the property in question, the new owner would take over the energy bills pertaining to the previous owner’s Green Deal loan.

There were no upfront costs for the applicant to incur at the outset. The only cost would have been the assessment, which might be waived or enveloped by the provider depending on the deal struck between the provider and the business (or home owner) applying.

The golden rule of the Green Deal was that the expected financial savings must be equal to or greater than the costs attached to the energy bill. And yet the plug failed to engage.
According to the Heating & Hotwater Industry Council, (HHIC), the news came as no surprise;
“This policy failed to engage with both installers and consumers, and delivered little in terms of energy efficiency. Its demise therefore is expected and understandable.”
Interestingly, the Government has not come up with a replacement scheme to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has, however, expressed interest in working with the building industry and consumer groups to agree a new “value-for-money approach.”

If you missed out on the Green Deal and are thanking your lucky stars but inadvertently lamenting the loss of the opportunity to eco-up your business and save money in the long term, perhaps this was just a learning curve and the best policy is yet to come. Here’s hoping.

Source: bbc.co.uk – “Green Deal funding to end, government announces” and Hvnplus.co.uk – “Government ends Green Deal Finance Company funding”.

If you’d like further information, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

Do business owners really care about energy efficiency? New survey reveals all

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New research by YouGov has revealed that 62 per cent of workers believe that their employers are invested in energy saving. Commissioned by British Gas, the survey polled 1,118 workers (individuals in businesses rather than decision makers) across the UK in an effort to find out how dedicated company owners and managers are to being energy efficient.

Whilst the results indicate a positive inclination toward the economical use of gas and electricity, it’s worth mentioning that fewer than half (43 per cent) of workers said that their company or organisation ensures that all lights and computer screens are switched off when not in use and fewer than one in five (18 per cent) said they conduct a regular energy audit.

According to Brian Stewart, Head of Customer Strategy and Insight at British Gas Business (the business arm of the energy company), companies are spending more on energy efficiency but that more could be done to save on energy consumption.

The support of employees goes a long way in businesses attempts to save energy, and good news for employers is that 68 per cent of UK workers take extra care to help make their work place more energy efficient, with 22 per cent saying they care a great deal. YouGov’s survey found that hospitality and leisure workers care the most (82 per cent) about saving business energy. Financial services and manufacturing ranked high, with workers affirming a respective 77 and 76 per cent commitment to helping their employers meet energy efficient targets.

Other than the backing of employees and obvious habits like turning off plugs and electronic devices when not in use, another practical way to be more energy efficient is to introduce a paperless policy. Interestingly, 38 per cent of respondents working in the financial services industry indicated that their companies have gone paperless, which is 12 per cent more than the average (26 per cent). It’s a small thing but it can make a huge difference not only to the environment but to business overheads.

For more information on how to make your business’s energy more efficient and more affordable, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

Source: Britishgas.co.uk – “More than two thirds of UK workers say they care about energy saving in the workplace”

Nu-way Enertech receives top safety accreditation

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As an approved installer for Nu-way boilers and equipment, CH Systems is pleased to report that Nu-way Enertech has recently been awarded accreditation from Safecontractor for its commitment to achieving excellence in health and safety.

With more than 263 major clients and over 23000 contractor members, Safecontractor is a leading third party accreditation scheme that recognises very high standards in health and safety management amongst UK contractors. The scheme is applicable to most sectors although it is particularly relevant to food manufacture, property, facilities management, retail and leisure sectors, all of which are big users of contracted services.

Under the Safecontractor scheme, businesses undergo a vetting process which examines health and safety procedures and their track record for safe practice. Those companies meeting the high standard are included on a database, which is accessible to registered users only – via a website.

Nu-way’s application for Safecontractor accreditation was driven by the desire to have a uniform and recognised standard across the business, and accreditation will enhance the company’s ability to attract new contracts – as reported on the company Nu-Way website. Nu-way is currently credited as the UK’s largest distributor of boiler spare parts, and supplies 70 countries around the globe. Some of the company’s most recent clients have included major players such as Kelloggs, Shell, Rolls Royce and the M.O.D.

John Kinge, technical director of Safecontractor, said, “Major organisations simply cannot afford to run the risk of employing contractors who are not able to prove that they have sound health and safety policies in place. More companies need to understand the importance of adopting good risk management in the way that Nu-way Enertech has done. The firm’s high standard has set an example which hopefully will be followed by other companies within the sector.”

So basically, should your business need to invest in a heating system – gas, oil or duel fuel – Nu-way Enertech is a good option.

If you’d like further information on boiler installation (and any Nu-way Enertech product), feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

What business owners need to know about UK energy policy in the upcoming General Election

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The election is drawing near and things are hotting up in the decision making department as business owners scrutinise party policies in an effort to cast a vote that will yield entrepreneurial advantage. Understanding what the General Election means for UK energy policy is of particular significance as it will have a long term impact on business overheads but with politicians not exactly known for their candour, negotiating the vague strategy of party politics can be frustrating if nothing else.

In an effort to help business owners better understand party manifestos and what they will mean for energy using companies, the Association for Decentralised Energy has offered a review of the most prominent party policies. The bad news is that Despite loud concerns over the past two years from businesses on their growing energy costs, there is nothing from any of the parties’ manifestos that shows the importance of improving industrial and business energy productivity or managing their costs is on their radar, which the Association for Decentralised Energy is calling a “missed opportunity for all the major parties.” That said; there are yet some points that might affect the voting choice of UK entrepreneurs:

  • Both Labour and the Liberal Democrat manifestos commit to energy efficiency as an infrastructure priority although there remains limited detail on the proposal.
  • The Conservative manifesto focuses on the cost of energy but the party’spromise to remove relatively low-cost onshore wind subsidies risks undermining this claim.
  • The Liberal Democrat manifesto reflects their experience gained in government and their aim to own the green energy file in comparison to the other main parties. As well as a poignant focus on energy, it is also the only manifesto to properly consider heat.
  • The Scottish National Party (SNP), although understandably focused on Scotland, has a very strong focus on encouraging renewable electricity investment, due to the Scottish wind and tidal resource.

It’s definitely worth doing further research into any of the aforementioned points if they have the potential to sway your vote.

And if you’re a small business owner, listen up! Of particular interest in the upcoming General Election is the ballot to be cast by Britain’s small business community, which has grown by two million firms since the last election in 2010. According to the StartUp Britain tracker, for the last three years record numbers of people have been setting up in business. In just two years, more than a million new companies have been registered with Companies House, and one in 10 domestic properties in the UK is now home to at least one business – as reported by ibtimes.co.uk.

The ultimate point is this: no matter how small or big your company, energy is an issue and it is important to consider what the people who plan to run the country might offer your business when it comes to entrepreneurial advancement – not only in relation to the overall goal of cutting costs but in terms of energy efficiency and ethical policy as well.

If you’d like further information, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

Sources: Theade.co.uk – “Better Energy Blog | What the General Election Means for UK Energy Policy” and Ibtimes.co.uk – “Election 2015: Cameron and Miliband can gain huge advantage by winning small business favour”

Could businesses claim VAT reductions on energy efficient materials?

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The election is a stone’s throw away and energy issues are hotting up as politicians look to secure votes. Big news of the moment is a statement released by the Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA), which is calling on all political parties to set VAT at 5 per cent for all energy efficiency materials and the installation thereof.

Mike Foster, Chief Executive of EUA, argues:

“Successive Governments promote energy efficiency measures, encouraging homeowners to install everything from insulation, new boilers to state-of-the-art controls yet there are huge anomalies in the levels of VAT charged.

Installing a new control, as a one-off job, would attract VAT at the lower rate of 5 per cent, making it attractive to the consumer yet installing the same control, as part of a wider system improvement, would attract VAT at the standard, 20 per cent rate. The current system is inconsistent and sends out mixed messages to consumers and it needs clarification.

Green Deal, ECO and other energy efficiency policies have failed to deliver, simplifying the VAT rules around products and their installation is something that could be done reasonably easily, it would provide real help to hard-pressed consumers.”

Foster’s point clearly targets home owners but what about businesses that have turned their companies into ethical and sustainable entities, costing both time, effort and an initial pay-out? If home owners were to receive a VAT reduction incentive should business owners not be afforded the same privilege?

Company VAT is normally chargeable at 20 per cent but your business may be liable for less if it satisfies certain criteria, namely de minimis (low energy consumption), which is applied to businesses with electricity demands below 33kWh per day or 1,000 kWh per month (on average) or gas consumption below an average of 145kWh (5 therms) per day or 4,397 kWh (150 therms) per month – these businesses will qualify for a reduced VAT rate of 5 per cent. (The assessment of your consumption can be made by you or by your supplier, as a meter reading or as an estimate.)

The next question to consider if businesses were to be made eligible for some sort of VAT reduction is what type of energy efficiencies could be implemented (with the added intention of reducing costs in the long term)? Things like state-of-the-art controls (for heating and hot water), new boilers and insulation (around windows, doors, walls, floors, ceilings lofts) have been mentioned but other ideas that will be relevant to your business in context are:

• Wood-fuelled boilers
• Micro combined heat and power units
• Solar panels
• Ground-source heat pumps
• Air-source heat pumps
• Wind turbines
• Water turbines

Again, businesses have not been mentioned in EUA’s reduced VAT proposal but it’s a space worth watching! And in the meantime, for more information on how to up your business’s energy efficiency (products and installation) feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

Sources: uea.org.uk – “Reduce VAT to 5% on all energy efficient materials and their installation” and simplybusinessenergy.co.uk – “Electricity and Gas Bills – Understanding VAT”.