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WaterSafe plumbers help businesses save money

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If your go-to plumbing service is WaterSafe accredited then lucky you – not only are you sure to get good service but also some handy tips on how your business can save money on energy bills.

Watersafe recently carried out a survey of its plumbers to find out how much they talk about saving water with their customers and how often they recommend products to cut down on waste. According to the stats; an impressive 98 per cent of participants think that a good plumber will provide advice on water efficiency, and consequently 92 per cent regularly talk to customers about products that can help save water.

According to WaterSafe plumbers, customers are often unaware that they’re using more water than they need to and also don’t realise that by using less hot water could save on energy bills. The appliances plumbers are mostly likely to advise customers on are toilets, taps and showers.

The introduction of a Water Label in 2014 is also helping plumbers identify water efficient products more easily, with a ‘traffic light’ rating showing how much water they use. Three quarters of the plumbers surveyed are aware of the label and do promote it to homes and businesses.

Julie Spinks, director of WaterSafe, said: “WaterSafe plumbers are all fully qualified and trusted to work safely with drinking water in homes and businesses but they are also offering customers additional free advice which can help them save water, save energy and save money.

“It’s inspiring to hear that plumbers are motivated to give the best possible service to customers on all aspects of their water supply and also care about protecting water sources and the environment in which they live and work.”

If you’re keen for some professional insight on how your business can be more frugal in its energy consumption, definitely ask your plumber – according WaterSafe; it’s part of the job!

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

Could the return of the incandescent light bulb save your business money?

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Thomas Edison created the incandescent light bulb more than 130 years ago…and it was awesome. But Edison’s traditional filament bulb lost street cred in modern times and was overtaken by the more efficient LED and the more eco-friendly fluorescent bulb. Things, however, could be about to change!

Scientists at MIT reckon that they’ve found a way to make the incandescent light bulb more energy efficient. Now, you might be wondering what the big deal is because with LED or fluorescent bulbs an online purchase away, why would any business pay attention to the resurrection of the filament bulb? In a nutshell – the return of the incandescent light bulb save your business money. Here’s how:

The old-style bulb was only considered to be 5 per cent efficient, because it typically lost around 95 per cent of its energy to the air as heat. LED or fluorescent bulbs boosted that efficiency figure to 14 per cent, but the new incandescent bulb marks a potentially huge leap for energy efficiency to 40 per cent. Scientists plan to do this in a two stage process.

The first stage will stop waste heat from the conventionally heated metal filament from dissipating with the inclusion of a secondary structure surrounding the filament, which will capture the excess radiation and reflect it back to the filament to be re-absorbed and re-emitted as visible light.

The second stage will manipulate how efficiently the system converts electricity into light.

Scientists refer to their approach as “light recycling,” since their material takes in the unwanted, useless wavelengths of energy and converts them into the visible light wavelengths that are desired; recycling energy that would otherwise be wasted.

Now check this: The Energy Saving Trust calculates that a 60-watt incandescent light bulb over a year would typically cost £7.64. An equivalent energy efficient fluorescent or light bulb drops the cost to £1.53 per year, and an LED £1.27. The new MIT bulb would be expected to cost just 50p to run for a year (as reported by Bitishgas.co.uk).

In other words, it’s in the best interests of your business for the buffs and MIT to get this incandescent bulb thing right! Little savings add up, especially when there’s lots of light to be used. We’ll keep you posted…

For more on the science and the research of the MIT project, CLICK HERE.

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

Source: Britishgas.co.uk – “The return of the incandescent light bulb”

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.

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.

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”.

What is the ‘energy trilemma’? – And how does it impact businesses?

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Everyone’s talking energy these days. It wasn’t that long ago that business energy consumption was seemingly irrelevant; the UK had it all figured out. But times have changed; sustainability has become a big deal bringing energy to the fore both socially and politically. News headlines are rife with reference to the so-called ‘energy trilemma’ and how this affects business profitability, and companies are spending many hours hashing out solutions in the boardroom in an effort to reduce energy costs.

The term ‘energy trilemma’ was coined by the World Energy Council to explain the problem of finding secure energy supplies and catering to rising demand without prices becoming unaffordable, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And the problem is turning out to be quite the conundrum. The three goals of: energy security, energy cost and environment sustainability are largely dependent on the relationships between public and private sectors, governments and regulators, economic and social factors, national resources, environmental concerns, and individual behaviours. The challenge that business owners face, amidst all of this, is to make energy work for the company (rather than against it) whilst maintaining a profit (and the certainty of future profits) by ensuring that the energy trilemma does not manipulate net earnings into the red.

The most obvious solution to the energy trilemma is energy efficiency. According to a survey conducted by UrbanWind, the majority of UK businesses are concerned with saving energy, with 94 per cent actively pursuing an energy reduction programme. And this is great news, considering the fact that European leaders have struck a broad climate change pact obliging the EU as a whole to cut greenhouse gases by at least 40 per cent by 2030. David Cameron won a battle to keep policies aimed at boosting renewables and saving electricity voluntary for member states. Although Cameron had hoped to cut the energy efficiency figure to 25 per cent, he accepted 27 per cent on behalf of the UK as long as it was not binding on Britain.

More and more, government policy will make businesses accountable for their energy consumption as experts and leaders work to solve the energy trilemma. If your business is not yet on board with implementing sustainable energy measures, it’s probably time to get with the programme.

If you’d like further information on ways to lower your energy overheads and make your business’s energy use more sustainable, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302 8149 or info@chsystems.cc.

Sources: H&VNews – “Commercial opportunities increase for MCS installers”; Greenwisebusiness.co.uk – “EU leaders agree 40 per cent emissions cuts by 2030”; Urban-wind.co.uk – “Business Energy Independence” and Theguardian.com – “The energy ‘trilemma’: how did we get here?”

How much do business owners really know about energy saving?

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A new survey commissioned by the National Energy Foundation has revealed what British adults really know about energy. And it’s not all that much.

Of the people surveyed, most say that they would like to reduce their energy consumption, either because of the financial cost of using energy (81 per cent) or because of the environmental impact (70 per cent).

When it comes to business, the first step to improving energy efficiency (and cutting company overheads) is appreciating the dynamic of how light and heat is used in context. Interestingly, although three in five (58 per cent) of British adults say that they feel well informed about energy issues – sourcing information from news and documentary programmes on the TV and radio (42 per cent), searching on the internet (32 per cent) and via energy companies directly (22 per cent) – only 41 per cent of energy users know that the UK’s electricity supply comes mainly from fossil-fuel combustion. This means that the majority (59 per cent) do not know the principal source of the UK’s electricity supply.

Not only that but:

  • Only half (50 per cent) of those surveyed correctly identified which type of light bulb uses the least energy (LED) and 35 per cent incorrectly thought that low voltage halogen lights use the least.
  • Only one in ten (11 per cent) adults say that they know how much energy their workplace uses; while eight out of ten believe that private employers (79 per cent) and the government (76 per cent) should provide training and education to teach the public to use energy more efficiently. This compares to the six in ten (57 per cent) who believe that technology will solve our energy problems.

What the survey results suggest is that individuals and organisations need to up their energy literacy…

…making company owners, with a keen sense of how things work, effective in assisting their businesses in energy efficient improvements; reducing carbon footprints and saving money too.

Kerry Mashford, Chief Executive of the National Energy Foundation, has expressed interest in implementing a number of high-impact projects to improve the energy performance of new and existing buildings, inspiring others to do the same – NEF is currently looking for partners to back initiatives.

In the meantime, whether you’re a small business owner or someone managing a large-scale operation (hotels, hospitals, restaurants, police stations etc.), be proactive! Take energy seriously.

For more information on the National Energy Foundation Energy Poll, CLICK HERE for headline survey findings.

Source: nef.org.uk – “Energy survey raises concerns: people think they know more about energy issues than they really do”

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

Businesses’ top complaints when it comes to energy supply service

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New research articulated in HVP Magazine suggests that the service offered by energy suppliers to UK businesses is not up to scratch. The strict guidelines that inform the competence of companies offering a commercial boiler installation service seem to have evaded the energy companies that fuel these boilers. An overall lack of professionalism is alienating potential customers, and this in turn is having a negative impact on post-recession economic recovery – according to Craig Brown, managing director of Signs Express.

Business decision makers in the construction and property sector were asked to tally the most frustrating practices when dealing with suppliers; here’s the list:

  • Supplier’s ‘hard sell’ approach – 56%.
  • Not providing a quote as promised – 50%.
  • Inexperience and inability to answer questions – 38%.
  • Supplier not turning up for an appointment – 30%.
  • Quote exceeding estimate – 26%.
  • Acting in an overly-friendly or inappropriately familiar manner – 15%.
  • Supplier looking scruffy or unprofessional – 14%.
  • Turning up late for an appointment – 12%.

When supplier competition is rife, the fact that energy companies are not bending over backwards to win business is somewhat remarkable. Although the survey focuses on construction and property commerce in particular, there exists an ensuing assumption that many business owners are facing similar grievances.

According to recent forecasts by UK energy operator National Grid, the price of electricity could double over the next couple of years unless the country invests more in local gas production. Hopefully this won’t be the case but if the worst scenario comes to fruition, the only way business owners will comply is through impeccable supplier service – punctuality, fairness, reliability, a sense of expertise and care.

Not delivering on quotes and inflexible tariffs have the potential to impact net earnings, and on a large scale the economy as a whole. It’s up to businesses to voice their dissatisfaction and in turn for suppliers to listen not only listen but make the necessary changes.

Sources: hvpmag.co.uk – “New survey reveals top supplier turn-offs” and Theguardian.com – “Price of electricity could double over next 20 years, says National Grid”

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

How your business can reduce energy consumption in the face of rising tariffs

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Rising prices and tough carbon reduction targets have made energy a critical issue for government, civil society and business – and both industry and policy makers have a lot to say about the matter.

Hot in the press at the moment is whether energy-intensive industries should be asked to reduce energy consumption in spite of the fact that said energy use (that might be deemed excessive in light of reduction targets) drives business profits? A debate is raging in the face of government incentives to solve ‘the energy crisis’ by implementing time shifts (tapering energy use across the day by charging customers more for energy at the most popular times of day) on businesses in an effort to change behaviour.

Energy policies have not yet been honed by government but what is clear is that some sort of reduction will be forced, and even if your business is not energy-heavy it’s nonetheless a good idea to cut energy consumption before flexibility is no longer an option.

According to a survey by greenwisebusiness.co.uk, the most common reasons that UK company owners have not cut their energy consumption are:

  • insufficient time or resources
  • not being able to quantify the expected returns
  • energy efficiency being a lower priority than other business considerations

Logic says that the best way to cut consumption would be to address the aforementioned hindrances. Here’s how:

Assign ‘ownership’ to a member of staff: if time is short and resources are minimal, appoint someone with the specific task of overseeing an ‘energy project’; this could be someone already on staff or someone new who is brought in on a contract basis. The idea would be for the project manager to identify the primary areas of energy consumption (including lighting, heating, cooling and powering equipment) and to then work out how best to cut consumption; investing in new equipment can make a dramatic difference to energy bills, for example.

Plan and evaluate: often energy saving measures cost up front but save money in the long term. A good way to quantify returns is to clearly outline project requirements to prospective suppliers, which enables a detailed picture of which company offers the best deal. All proposals should provide whole life costings for the proposed solution, showing both the upfront capital cost of the equipment as well as the running costs (including estimated energy consumption and maintenance). Also make sure you receive quotes from at least three established suppliers to have a good framework for comparison. It is worth evaluating the success of different energy efficiency projects at regular stages after their completion. This helps demonstrate the return on investment for future projects; to identify which measures are delivering the biggest benefits and can highlight future enhancements to business operations. – As suggested by greenwisebusiness.co.uk.

Change behaviour: the best way to make energy consumption a business priority is to start with the basics; something as simple as turning off heating outside normal opening hours can result in significant energy savings without the need for major investment. Also encourage staff to take simple steps to reducing energy use on a daily basis (turn switches off at the socket, make sure lights are turned off when rooms aren’t in use etc.) – before you know it; saving energy will be habit.

It’s important to remember that when it comes to energy consumption, the effort it takes to cut energy use will ultimately save your business money! The more effort you put in, the more return you will see.

Sources: Theguardian.com – “Is it fair to ask energy-intensive industries to reduce consumption?” and Greenwisebusiness.co.uk – “Beating the barriers to energy efficiency in association with the CARBON TRUST

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