New legislation¹ aimed at cutting carbon emissions will force public authorities and institutions to confront the issue of the UK’s many energy-guzzling public buildings.

In the national press, the finger has been pointed at many of the nation’s most iconic buildings, from the Palace of Westminster to the Bank of England, as having extremely poor energy efficiency.

From 1 October 2008, the European Commission (EC) required all public buildings over 100sq meters to measure carbon dioxide emissions and show Display Energy Certificates (DEC). Prior to 1 October 2008, only public buildings over 1,000 sq.m needed to comply with these requirements. But with legislation covering non-public buildings set to follow, coupled with soaring energy costs, it’s never been more important to reduce energy usage and address green and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) priorities. Using energy efficiently can also increase a business’s profitability through reduced costs, yet many businesses are still unaware of the technologies available to help improve energy efficiency.

Through measurement hardware, data collection and the online provision of energy management information, specialists like IMServ, one of the UK’s leading independent providers of energy solutions, can help organisations improve their energy efficiency and reduce costs by up to 20%. Companies with half hourly metering can have access to an accurate profile of a day’s energy consumption, broken down over 30-minute periods. This information can be displayed simply via the internet, so that energy managers can easily see how their actions impact directly on energy usage, which helps to encourage and reinforce best practice.

Lucy Fitzgerald from IMServ explains: “You can’t plan an energy strategy if you don’t know how much energy you are consuming. Only when you have daily, monthly and yearly energy data can you see what you are using, when and where, and start taking steps to control it.

“There was a time when automated metering was an option for only the largest and most energy-dependent companies, but these days, energy issues are being forced up the agenda by legislation such as this, and discussed at board-level in businesses of all sizes – automated metering is providing firms with the data they need to enable effective energy management.”

To help businesses become more sustainable, more environmentally friendly, and in many cases, more profitable, IMServ has put together five useful tips:

1. Better understand your energy usage… Whatever the size of the business, you need to know how much energy it’s consuming to understand what it’s costing. Only then can you take targeted action – and make sure you’re only paying for energy you’ve actually used!

2. Smart metering to take a closer look… automated meter reading (AKA smart metering) gives you complete visibility of energy consumed. Meters automatically collect accurate usage data every half-hour – this means no more estimates, overpayments or disputes about what a site did or didn’t use. This also removes the cost, normally passed on to you, of meter readers visits.

3. Develop or refine a realistic energy management policy… The Carbon Trust believes that installing smart meters, when combined with an energy management programme, can save a business up to 20% in its energy costs.²

4. Enhance your energy data... Raw data has strictly limited value but by applying particular analytical approaches you can derive ‘energy intelligence’. This gives your business great opportunities to achieve energy efficiencies, reduce costs and address green targets and lower carbon emissions.

5. Plan a customised energy management programme… No two companies are the same and, in reality, an energy management solution can’t be bought ‘off the shelf’ – it should be seen as a value-added activity that’s designed and adapts in line with your business and its needs. Aligning energy management approaches with your business strategy and objectives (operational, costs, environmental, customer satisfaction, etc.) will help you to start building a truly sustainable business.

Email: Nicola.Brookes@loudgroup.com