Businesses' energy budgets going up in thin air

26/01/2012

Inefficient devices are costing UK businesses more than £100 million each year in lost energy.

According to the Carbon Trust, air compressors are the biggest culprit, wasting millions of pounds because they are poorly managed or damaged.

Richard Rugg, director of Carbon Trust Programmes, said that there is a misconception that air compressors provide free air and are low cost but that is far from the truth in a lot of cases.

"Just a single three millimetre hole in a compressed air system creates a leak, which can cost a business an additional £1,000 a year in electricity costs," he said.

The Carbon Trust says that air compressors are more widespread than you might think as they are used in the manufacturing process of aircrafts, treatment of water and some operations involving electronics and engineering.

In terms of electrical use, they account for the equivalent of 1.5 power stations and more than five million tonnes of carbon emissions being emitted into the atmosphere.

Replacing an old and damaged air compressor with a modern energy efficient one can save a firm somewhere in the region of 30 per cent on its electricity costs and effectively pay for itself within less than two year.

Energy suppliers are not doing enough to promote options in which companies can cut down on their power wastage so the Carbon Trust has launched a new guide which hopes will help firms out.

Mr Rugg said: "Our new guide provides practical and easy to implement advice that will enable businesses to cut their electricity spend on compressed air by up to a third."

Recent research conducted by npower found that 44 per cent of UK businesses do not believe that their supplier gives them enough help and support on ways in which to cut back on their use of energy. Most firms also do not understand the tariff they are currently tied into.

Posted by Sam Williams