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5 ways to save water at work

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It’s just been World Water Day (22 March) – as good a time as any to remember that not only is saving water a moral responsibility and good for the environment but it can save your business money, too.

Climate change is driving a global crisis in water shortages and the Government has advised that England will face a severe water shortage by 2050 unless we start saving this essential resource. Companies – small and large – can play their part. Here’s how:

  • Boil what you need – hot drinks are an essential part of a working day; save money, water and energy by only boiling the water you need.
  • Reduce food waste – it takes a lot of water to produce food and we waste a massive amount (4.5 million tonnes of food a year); when you are catering for lunches, events, conferences, don’t over-do it. Cater for what you need based on the numbers rather than an ‘in case you need more’ scenario.
  • Dishwashers save water – studies show that filling up a dishwasher so it’s a full load uses three to four times less water than if you were washing the same dishes by hand.
  • Turn off taps – a really obvious one but how often do you come across a dripping tap in your working day? Also be sure to fix leaks as drips cost resource, time and money when left too long.
  • Low flush toilet – old-style single-flush toilets use 13 litres of water for each flush. Modern dual-flush toilets use just 6 litres for a full flush, or 4 litres for a reduced flush.

These five simple tips can apply in a work-from home context as well as in the office, and whilst they might seem microcosmic in the grand scheme of water-saving they make a massive difference if everyone commits doing their bit.

For more water saving tips, visit Mirashowers.co.uk.

For more information on the survey, read “Which? Energy survey results” and for
all your energy related questions, feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302
8149
or info@chsystems.cc.

Why Hydrogen Boilers will be the next big thing for eco-friendly industry

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We’re living through a pandemic and are about to exit the EU – pretty dramatic – but there is still that pesky ‘world dying because of climate change’ thing looming in the periphery.

This month (thank goodness!) the Government announced a Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution (and the associated creation of 250,000 jobs). It’s an ambitious plan (that can be viewed on Gov.uk) but what will be of certain interest to business owners is what looks to be a massive investment in hydrogen as an alternative to gas.

Working with industry, the Government aims to generate 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for industry, transport, power and homes, as well as the first town heated entirely by hydrogen by the end of the decade. Hydrogen is kinder to the environment, which is why the Government is trialling it as a heating fuel, and if all goes according to plan, it is very likely that your business will be asked (or required) to ‘go hydrogen’ in the not too distant future.

When our boilers burn fossil fuels carbon is released into the atmosphere which is damaging to the planet. When hydrogen is burned, it produces only water and heat with no carbon. Even if one was to use a combination of natural gas and hydrogen, carbon emissions would be significantly reduced. Not only that: hydrogen could be delivered to properties through the existing gas network, and hydrogen boilers would be installed in the same way as a gas boiler and look very similar too. They would be connected to the gas network, with fuel being delivered to the unit as and when heating and hot water is needed.

There are, however, some challenges to hydrogen as a solution to carbon emission – it is expensive to produce in large quantities and the production of hydrogen can produce carbon if not captured. Which is why, in the UK, we’re still in the testing phase. It is not yet possible to buy or install a hydrogen-ready boiler. However, manufacturers such as Baxi and Worcester Bosch have developed working prototypes – and if you’re interested, you can read more about the H21 Project (that is currently demonstrating how existing natural gas networks can be repurposed to safely carry 100% hydrogen) HERE.

In the meantime, if you need to replace your boiler, a modern condensing gas boiler will be able to be powered with the proposed 20% hydrogen supply and as and when a 100% hydrogen supply is ready in the future your boiler will be able to be modified.

If you’d like to know more about how hydrogen boilers work, check out Boilerguide.co.uk or feel free to contact the CH Systems team on 0208 302
8149 or info@chsystems.cc for all your energy related questions.

What is Climate Change Levy and how will due increase affect your business?

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In response to global warming, the UK government (along with many other countries in Europe) prescribed various environmental taxes and relief schemes in an effort to encourage businesses to reduce their carbon footprint. The Climate Change Levy (CCL) is one of these measures.

The CCL is an environmental tax charged on the energy used by businesses, and applies to the industrial, commercial and agricultural sectors as well as public services. The tax is charged on ‘taxable commodities’ for heating, lighting and power purposes.

Virtually every business in the UK has to pay the CCL but there are a few exceptions: very small businesses, charitable businesses engaged in non-commercial activities, businesses generating electricity from a renewable source and using it exclusively on-site, and businesses investing in Combined Heat and Power (CHP).

If you’ve been in business since 2001 (when the CCL was introduced), likely you’re already aware of all of the above but what you may not know is that rates are set to increase more than ever before! The reason for the increase is to limit the effects of climate change and pollution, which really are negatively impacting our planet.

Typically, the CCL has risen by 3 per cent each year but April 2019 will see a drastic rise in rates, with a 45 per cent CCL increase on electricity and 67 percent increase on gas and other fuel.

This could affect your business’s bottom line – especially if you’re a small to medium-size enterprise! But there are a couple of things that you can do to mitigate the impact of the CCL increase, namely: invest in small scale energy generation or simply reduce energy consumption! Non-intensive, large energy users such as hospitals, supermarkets, and office blocks may see and overall reduction if savings from the abolition of the Carbon Reduction Comittment (as of April 2019) offsets the rise in CCL rates. Businesses (of all sizes) may also need to re-strategise their finances with the inclusion of a bigger levy budget to cover the spike in rates.

For further details on the CCL increase, visit Touchstoneservices.co.uk or Britishgas.co.uk.

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

Businesses prioritise energy security when choosing providers, according to new research

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With the cold well underway and heaters assuredly on, there is one thing that is occupying the minds of business owners as tariffs tick over, and that’s energy security. According to new research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), 73 per cent of 550 business leaders and 2,300 households rate security of supply as a crucial energy objective for the UK.

The majority of businesses (96 per cent) are concerned about keeping energy bills affordable and, interestingly, more than half of businesses (57 per cent) believe that the UK’s energy security is worse than it was five years ago. The resounding scepticism of UK business owners is emphasised by the fact that 53 per cent of respondents cite ‘energy company profits’ as the primary reason for price hikes. It’s thus no big surprise that a mere 38 per cent of businesses agree that energy efficiency is the best solution to ensuring that energy costs remain affordable (smaller bonuses, maybe?). Another solution hazarded by business leaders who participated in CBI’s research is; more competition in the market – if energy providers are vying for customers, they’ll have to offer the best deal in an effort to sustain their client base.

Perhaps a lesser known fact is that provider profits accounted for only 4.3 per cent of an average bill in 2012, which suggests that other than the solutions already highlighted by business owners themselves, it seems that industry players might benefit from an action prioritising greater transparency and honest conversation. Being real about energy objectives and how they relate to business is a good way to encourage a mutual support network between companies and energy providers.

And how do business owners feel about the UK’s aim to tackle climate change? In spite of the fact that change in policy and the practical implementation thereof might affect energy security, most businesses (70 per cent) support renewable energy initiatives and other such schemes that hope to minimise the country’s carbon footprint. While 60 per cent of business leaders believe that taking action now to cut carbon emissions will deliver long-term economic opportunity, one in three businesses disagree (32 per cent), suggesting more must be done to communicate the importance of, and opportunity presented by, the low-carbon transition.

The research does a great job of drawing attention to some very real concerns relating to energy efficiency – or lack thereof, according to various respondents. The good news is that there’s a lot to be done and everyone has a part to play.

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: cbi.org.uk – “Short-term thinking on energy risks damaging investment – CBI”