Why should SMEs consider reducing energy usage?

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.

Introducing 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.

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: • 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.

EDUCATING BUSINESSES

In order to build momentum in the switch to renewable energy sources and to play our part for the UK to reach net zero by 2050, we realise that businesses need to become much better educated about the long-term benefits of investing in new technologies and services that reduce energy usage.

Accessing information and understanding the practicalities of reducing energy consumption is just one part of that picture. Take, for example, a Leicestershire school that wanted to reduce its energy consumption: following the installation of new electrical systems – a solar PV system and replacing all lighting with energy-efficient LEDs – CO2 emissions were cut by 45.5% and the school made an annual saving of £12,000 on its energy bill.

However, the other important factor is for businesses to fully take on board the advantages of marketing their green credentials back into the marketplace.

Today’s consumers make buying choices often based on reviews and the “personality” of a company. As the years roll on and the pace for change in our energy consumption increases, this message of sustainability and caring for our environment will only become more and more potent.

We don’t know precisely how climate change will affect the planet, but we can be certain it will impact economies and devastate populations. Businesses need to make changes to their energy usage – we all have a corporate and social responsibility to do so. If we don’t act of our own accord, then political restraints and regulations will be imposed. So now is the time to make these changes.