The government has recently secured a unprecedented deal with the big 6 energy suppliers which requires them to inform customers of what their cheapest tariff would be, and details of how to switch.

Even when it comes into place this autumn, keeping a close eye on what you’re paying and querying your bills could save you thousands. So what should you be looking for?

Courtesy of MoneySupermarket, we’ve highlighted the key areas to look at on these example bills. Click on the bills to see them full size.

So, if your bills don’t quite add up, or you think you’re being over charged, what can you do?

• Find out if your meter readings have been estimated (usually this means there will be an ‘e’ next to the meter reading). If this is the case, take a meter reading yourself and notify your supplier of it so they can bill you correctly.

• Find out where you are in your contract. Letting a contract run over is the most common way businesses will end up paying too much on their bills.

• Have a tariff review. We offer free business tariff reviews to ensure you’re on the best tariff.

• If you have just used more energy than usual, then one consideration could be to install smart meters to find out where you’re using excess energy.

In business, it’s so often easier and quicker to pay a bill without really considering it. The key is to treat your business bills like your domestic ones – shop around, don’t accept mis-calculations and remember that every saving you make increases your profits.

The majority of landlords in the UK private rental sector are independent landlords, often individuals or couples letting just one or two properties as an investment or to boost their income.  Given that the person living in the home and the homeowner are different people, it’s important that landlords understand the improvements energy efficiency measures can have on their property, as well as the direct benefits for tenants. I’ve addressed some of the main benefits for landlords below.

Reducing care and maintenance costs:

One way to reduce care and maintenance costs is to tackle condensation and mould, which can cause real issues for landlords and tenants alike.  Cheap insulation measures such as loft insulation and cavity wall insulation can help to reduce condensation meaning there is less need to redecorate.  This can save landlords time, money and often avoids loss of rental income if a property has to be vacated whilst redecoration occurs.  It’s worth checking with your energy supplier to see they can provide you with discounted insulation.

Protecting property value:

Installing low-cost insulation and energy efficiency measures such as draft exclusion help maintain the value of a property by avoiding the condensation and moisture issues described above which, if left unchecked, can result in damage to carpets, window frames and plasterwork.  These measures can also raise the ‘spec’ of a property, helping to underpin the value at resale and providing visible evidence to prospective buyers that the property has been well maintained.

Reducing tenant turnover:

Low cost insulation and energy efficiency measures can also help to reduce tenant turnover.
Firstly, tenants may be encouraged to stay beyond their original lease period if they are provided with a warmer, dryer environment.
Secondly, improved energy efficiency can help to reduce energy bills making the property cheaper to run and giving tenants more money to spend on the fun stuff.  Longer tenancies reduce the frequency of void periods when a property is unoccupied, and the costs and risks associated with advertising for and selecting new tenants are also avoided for longer.  A ‘cosy home’ may not be a priority for people looking to rent, but it could be a key factor in encouraging them to stay put once they’ve arrived, saving landlords time, hassle and money!

Tim Hendry is a freelance Energy Consultant whom we have worked closely with on several projects. You can visit his linkedin page here: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/timothyhendry

All marine sector SMEs (with less than 250 employees) could take advantage of the offer, including boat builders, marine engineers and those in the marine leisure industry.

The project is called TEAMS (Transnational Energy Aware Marine Sector), and through the scheme eligible businesses could take advantage of a dedicated energy expert who would implement appropriate strategies to help you reduce your energy consumption and bills.

What will your business get?

Working with an experienced energy professional, your business will benefit from comprehensive support and advice in all aspects of energy efficiency.

The services you receive will be tailored to the needs of your business, and would include:

• A tariff review to ensure you’re not paying too much  for your energy
• An energy audit to measure and analyse how you’re using energy and where it’s being used.
• A bespoke action plan to reduce your energy use, and support in initiating the plan.
• Advice and support on engaging employees in the project and implementing behaviour change strategy.
• Further sustainability guidance including waste, water and transport.
• Signposting and information on available grants and schemes which may be of use.
• Assessment of appropriate technology change to encourage energy efficiency, including energy monitoring and energy consumption reduction technologies
• The establishment of a trans-national Resource Efficiency Club, enabling marine businesses to share experiences, knowledge and best practice on energy reduction.

 How you will benefit

Implementing an energy efficiency strategy within your business comes with a continuous flow of benefits, and by taking advantage of the proposed offer you will gain the support of a dedicated energy manager allowing you to maximise the cost and marketing benefits. These usually include:

• Increased profits – monitoring and reducing your energy usage will lead to you spending less of your profits on energy bills.
• Future protection – we can introduce measures to protect you against resource shortages and ensure your future and growth plans will be sustainable both financially and environmentally.
• Peace of mind – you can continue running your business safe in the knowledge that you have an effective energy management plan.
• Continual improvement – managing your energy usage will become ingrained in your day-to-day work, and we can recommend activities to facilitate this and make further improvements.
• Market edge – Publicising your achievements will provide you with some fantastic PR opportunities and give you an edge over competitors.

Our work with other marine sector organisations has led to some impressive savings, including:

A boat yard that saved £2000 a year simply by doing a tariff review.

An office based organisation who saved almost 20% on energy costs through implementing a behaviour change strategy.

In order to secure funding for this project, we need your support.

How you can help:

• Providing a letter of support for the project. Download and personalise this letter of support.
• Indicating (not a commitment at this stage) that you would be willing and in a position to invest in your energy efficiency and savings, which in turn will contribute towards the 25% gap in funding as a business contribution.
• Providing us with a years worth of utility bills to get an idea of the amount of energy your business uses and the costs incurred.

Providing copies of all your energy bills for the last 12 months allows us to identify a sector baseline from which we can demonstrate the significant improvement in energy efficiency, and the savings achieved.

If you would like to reduce your running costs, maximise profits and improve your sustainability credentials, then complete this letter of support by   Wednesday 2nd May and return it to  jacqui.piper@cornwallmarine.net  or the Network office post address detailed below.

If you have any problems downloading the letter then please contact Charlotte (charlotte@lowcarbonfutures.com) / 01209 614979 and we will send you a copy.

If you have any further questions about ‘TEAMS’ then please contact Lucy Harris:
lucy.harris@cornwallmarine.net

Cornwall Marine Network Ltd
Maritime Business Centre
Unit 7A & B
Falmouth Business Park
Bickland Water Road
Falmouth
TR11 4SZ
Tel: 01326 211382

In this article, we’ve put together our top tips for transforming your organisation and embracing a low carbon future.

Before you start, think about why you’re doing it and decide on your main drivers. Is it because your energy costs are continually rising, or because you’re looking for a market edge? Perhaps you’re doing it to engage your customers, or simply because it fits in with our responsible business ethics. Once you’ve identified your drivers, then you’ll have a clearer idea of where best to focus your efforts.

We’ve identified below some key considerations for businesses looking to embark on a sustainability project:

• If you’re not senior management, then you will need their buy-in. Gather some evidence and present them with the business case, focusing on the cost savings and reputational benefits the project will achieve.
• Follow some great examples. There’s a wealth of material on the internet, and looking at sustainability plans from those around you can also be inspiring. Look at what companies in your sector are doing, and how you could improve on it to make your project outstanding.
• Think about your company policies and ethics – will your strategy be one which embeds into or builds on existing policies, or will it require a shift in your business approach?
• The Guardian Sustainable Business pages can also provide you with some helpful information, articles and advice.
• Engaging staff and colleagues is crucial to your project, so spend some time asking for their input into the plan.
• Set a baseline. This is possibly the most technically difficult part of the project, but is absolutely crucial for good reporting. Find out how much you’re spending on energy now, and if possible calculate your baseline carbon footprint.
• Decide on some goals. Where do you want to be in one, two and five years from now?
• Finally, avoid the temptation of ‘green-wash’ – making exaggerated claims about your environmental credentials. Needless to say, you will be caught out and could also be losing out on some of the added benefits.

Doing something is infinitely better than doing nothing, but doing something meaningful, structured and relevant is best, and will deliver the finest rewards.

The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme is essentially a carbon tax scheme designed by the Government to encourage our country’s biggest energy users to start making reductions. Although there is debate surrounding the nature of the CRCs, the legislation has driven our large businesses to start taking carbon reduction seriously, or pay for it.  Published in late 2011, the first league table provided us with a glimpse of which companies had actually taken real action to reduce their emissions.

In interviews undertaken by Greenwise, some of the top performers described the story behind their success, with several common themes:

• They had all started early
• They had all combined technology with behaviour change
• They were all thinking long term
• They had all recognised the financial benefits

For all of them, recognising these key ideas was crucial to their success. Huge organisations such as the Co-op group, BT and Center Parcs all commented that it was a continual process, in which dedication and innovation bought financial rewards. Not only that, but their accomplishments have provided some priceless PR opportunities.

The CRC scheme currently only encompasses organisations with an energy spend of over £500,000, but it has also given those who are near this threshold the incentive to reduce their energy spend.

There are vague plans for the government to impose mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting for all businesses, but given the announcement about the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme in the budget, it is likely that this won’t happen for some time. However, the companies listed above are testimonial to the fact that encouraging organisations to consider their emissions can have some very positive consequences, both in terms of cost savings and publicity.

So, even if the legislation hasn’t quite arrived yet, it doesn’t mean you can’t reap the benefits of good carbon management.

Low Carbon Futures are experienced Carbon Management Consultants, and are always happy to have a no obligation discussion about how carbon management could affect your business.

What is a Carbon Footprint?

The Carbon Trust defines a carbon footprint as ‘the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by a person, organisation, event or product’.

The footprint considers six Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gases: Carbon Dioxide (CO²), Methane (CH⁴), Nitrous oxide (N²O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF⁶).

Your footprint is measured in tonnes of Carbon Dioxide (CO²)equivalents, which allows all the gases to be calculated relative to a tonne of Carbon Dioxide.

What types of Carbon Footprint are there?

There are two main types of carbon footprint for businesses:

A Product Carbon Footprint measures emissions over the whole life cycle of a product. For example, if your organisation produced teabags, then the product carbon footprint would consider all emissions from growing the tea right through to disposal of the used teabags.

An Organisational Carbon Footprint measure emissions from across the organization, including energy use, buildings, company vehicles and industrial processes.

What does a Carbon Footprint include?

According to DEFRA guidelines, your carbon footprint should be split into three sections:

Scope 1 (direct emissions): includes company transport, industrial process emissions and fuel combustion.

Scope 2 (indirect emissions): purchased electricity, heat, steam, and cooling.

Scope 3 (other indirect emissions): includes other transport use, purchased materials, sold goods and waste disposal.

Scope 1 and 2 emissions are usually fairly easy to calculate, and should be included in all carbon footprints. Scope 3 emissions are more difficult to calculate, but it is best practice to include as much as you can, and declare what you have and have not included in your footprint.

In the next post, we’ll be looking at the benefits of carbon footprinting, from the organisations that have been most successful in measuring and reducing theirs. If you’d like any more information about Carbon footprinting in the meantime then you can visit our webpage or contact us.

Yesterday Andy and Charlotte, along with Justin Olosunde (Cornwall College Business) and Tony Sampson (Cornwall Solar Panels), completed the Sport Relief six miles in Falmouth. We were thrilled to finish around the 50 minute mark, well within our goal time of one hour.

Thank you so much to everyone who has sponsored us – we’ve raised £434.50 so far, and there’s still time to make donations to this deserving cause.

Low Carbon Leg Power

Low Carbon Futures are thrilled to announce that Charlotte and Andy will be running for sport relief on the 25^th March. The pair having been training to take on the Falmouth 6 mile event and are aiming to finish in under an hour.

Sport Relief is part of Comic Relief which raises money to change lives across the UK and in some of the world’s poorest countries. Donations could be used to buy medicine for sick children in developing countries, support projects for young people who are being bullied in the UK, or help war veterans who are suffering with PTSD.

We’re going to be raising money for the many causes Comic Relief supports, and we need your help to reach our donation goals.  Please visit our donation page; we’re grateful for contributions large and small to spur us on during the race. We’ll be keeping you updated on our training progress and final times via our twitter pages: @LowCarbonChar @LowCarbonAndy.

On a recent site energy audit, the facilities manager told us how he had tried many times to encourage staff to use less energy, with little success. The problem, he told us, was that none of the energy bills were split into departmental costs, they all simply came to him. The different departments had no idea how much energy they were using, or how much it cost.

This is a common problem in many workplaces; at some stage almost all businesses experience the energy draining ‘heating on, air-conditioning on/windows open’ combination. It would be easy to attribute this lack of consideration to a careless and negligent attitude towards the environment and company costs, but recognising the drivers behind this behaviour could identify a positive opportunity for change.

All too often, managers and business owners despair over their high energy costs, but don’t effectively convey these problems to staff. These employees will probably know how much their home electricity bill is, and they will adapt their behaviour in order to keep this cost down – switching off lights, turning plugs off and shutting equipment down fully. Why do they do this? Because they are equipped with the knowledge and resources to reduce or stabilise their bills, and there is a benefit to themselves in doing this. We can’t expect our employees to reduce energy usage and costs if they don’t know how much they’re using to begin with.

We believe that everyone should be encouraged to take ownership of the environmental aspects of the workplace. Tell your staff about your increasing energy costs, in real terms using real numbers. Explain to them why it is important that you, as a company, work together to bring the energy costs down. Involve them in the process and make it a joint venture, ask them how they think you could all use less energy, set some targets and some rewards if the targets are achieved and surpassed. And finally, invest in your sustainability strategy by giving employees the opportunity to go on training courses in order to learn more and save energy more effectively and with a little more passion. Because these are the people who are going to be making the everyday changes to save you money.

To repeat a well-known phrase, they really are your most valuable asset, and investing in them will encourage positivity towards you as an employer, and make for a productive and happy working environment.

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