2. Biz Network April 2021 41-80.qxp_Chamberlink 26/03/2021 11:12 Page 58
FOCUS FEATURE
GREEN BUSINESS
Why should an SME consider reducing energy usage? Fusion Electrics, winner of the Small Business of the Year category at last year’s Leicestershire Business Awards, installs and maintains electrical supplies for SMEs, businesses, schools and colleges across the UK. Business development director Joanne Skinner (pictured) explains how much of its work today involves helping clients to reduce their energy consumption – and in many cases, begin generating their own power.
ntroducing sustainable energy sources into the workplace can be a time-consuming exercise when you are busy running a company. As with all SMEs, the decision to change drills down to time versus money and time best spent. I believe businesses need to understand why it is so important for change before they are ready to make any big decisions. So it’s the responsibility of companies like ours to prove why these changes to energy consumption are so important – once businesses understand the full picture, they are often keen to make the investment required to make the necessary changes and to reap all the benefits of a more sustainable energy source. As with all new technology, it comes at a price. However, while the technology for new and sustainable technology continues to change at pace, the costs have levelled to a point that the significant benefits cannot be ignored. Corporate profiles are important and a positive reputation can be beneficial in securing contracts. Today, many consumers make a decision to buy not just on a company's product range, but on its green credentials too.
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FINANCIAL BENEFITS Reducing carbon usage brings financial benefits; by adopting and promoting an “environmentally-friendly” profile, a company will boost its popularity, market position and often will also lead to increased sales. Here are four key areas to focus on when considering making the first steps towards change: 58
business network April 2021
• Install energy-efficient lighting • Introduce programmed lighting controls to reduce the time lighting is on • Install energy reduction equipment such as PV (solar) energy systems and battery storage devices • Encourage employees to change to electric cars by installing electric charging points.
