Archive for August, 2010

“Brideshead” house makes substantial business energy savings

31 August 2010

Castle Howard, the Yorkshire stately home made internationally famous as the location for the screen adaptation of Brideshead Revisited, has undergone a green energy makeover to save on its business energy costs.

As reported in The Daily Telegraph, owner of the house the Hon Simon Howard spent £160,000 on fitting an underwater ground-source heat recovery system to the stately home last year. This has already slashed his business energy costs by half, from £40,000 to £20,000.

The Carbon Trust provided a grant of £60,000 to help with the cost of installation, which helped take the sting out of the initial quote, a figure Howard described as nearly making him fall off his chair.

However, he is pleased with the results. Castle Howard was built in the 18th Century and, thanks largely to the success of the ITV series Brideshead Revisited, it now welcomes more than 200,000 visitors each year as well as remaining home to the Howard family.

While this largescale business energy project costs far more than most small businesses could invest, there are still plenty of ways to save on your business electricity and gas costs.

The Carbon Trust is able to provide help in the form of interest free loans to many SMEs.

For advice on how to save on your business electricity and gas, contact Energy Advice Line.

Read the full story in The Daily Telegraph

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Julian Morgan, MD Energy Advice Line
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Transporting renewable energy for home and business energy customers

28 August 2010

As moves are continually made toward renewable energy, with particular emphasis on tidal and wind powered electricity generation, many business electricity customers whose premises are not located in the close vicinity of the sea or wind farm sites may be wondering how (and at what cost) such energy will be transported to them.

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has this week sought to address this question by inviting proposals for green energy transportation. Organisations are invited to take part in a ‘techno-economic’ evaluation project of transportable energy storage.

For many business energy customers, concern about the cost of transporting electricity generated at offshore wind farms will be a major worry, as such a cost is likely to be passed on to the consumer. The more remote the location, the more challenging it is to connect transmission lines such as electricity networks or pipelines.

The ETI needs to perform detailed analysis before deciding whether to support the development of transportable energy storage technologies. Issues including whether transportable energy storage is likely to be beneficial and at what cost such projects could run efficiently.
You can read the full story in Utility Week

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Julian Morgan, MD Energy Advice Line
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Businesses could save money with energy efficient design

27 August 2010

Substantial savings can be made to business energy costs by the implementation of energy efficient investments and building design. That’s the latest message from the Carbon Trust Footprinting Company, which was established in 2007 to help businesses measure and manage their carbon emissions.

In the current economic climate, investment may be tricky to come by and could well be the last thing on many small business owners’ minds. But by improving energy efficiency, the cost of business electricity and gas could be slashed.

Euan Murray, general manager of the Carbon Trust Footprinting Company, told Morgan Lovell: “More businesses are starting to think and act on their carbon footprint and energy emissions, helping them both meet standards for environmental best practice and save on the costs of energy.”

However, he also warned SME owners to be cautious of accepting companies’ energy efficiency claims at face value, urging businesses to ensure there was “robust” evidence backing up any such claims.

Energy efficient changes to your business can range from simply switching to greener products, such as energy efficient light bulbs or printers and office equipment fitted with timer switches to changes to your office design to make the most of features such as windows for light, preserving heat and so on.

For tips on making your workplace greener and advice on how to save on business electricity and gas costs, contact Energy Advice Line today.

You can read the full article at Morgan Lovell

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Red and green should never be seen: SMEs want help with green business energy

25 August 2010

According to the latest report from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), government help is required to help SMEs green up their business energy.

Concern about going into the red is the major stumbling block to many SMEs otherwise keen to go green.

An expansion of the existing loan scheme for small businesses and creating more incentives for firms to make their buildings greener are just two of the FSB’s recommendations to help improve business energy efficiency. The Government needs to look at these schemes in order to meet the UK’s tough carbon emission reduction targets, says the report.

The UK is committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 and the report, ‘Making sense of going green – small businesses and low carbon economy’, looks at the many opportunities which will enable small businesses to play their part.

According to the FSB, economic viability is the key to encouraging small businesses to turn over a new, greener leaf. Many small businesses appreciate the benefits to be gained from green investment and wish to achieve more efficiency (and thus lower costs) for their business electricity and gas. But the level of upfront investment required is putting them off.

At the moment, a zero per cent loan scheme is available to small businesses in order to buy energy efficient equipment. This scheme runs on a ‘pay as you save’ basis, meaning there is not an upfront cost to be met and SMEs can see a genuine cost saving through business energy efficiency. The FSB wants this scheme to be reformed and expanded.

At present, 47 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions come from buildings. One problem for businesses is that 44 per cent of SMEs rent their premises, and with many leases of less than five years, neither business nor landlord will see the benefits of making the building as energy efficient as possible. That’s a real disincentive and to tackle it the FSB recommends:

Incentivising private sector providers (banks, energy or construction companies) to pay the upfront costs of major building energy efficiency upgrades
Guaranteeing ‘pay as you save’ repayments through energy bills – by linking the responsibility of repayment to the building would help overcome the landlord/tenant divide
Supporting new business owners to green their buildings by encouraging firms in the worst G-rated buildings to take steps to move to an F-rating
Not penalising those who increase their rateable value through greening their premises by waiving the increased business rates.
For advice on saving on your business energy costs, contact Energy Advice Line.

Read the full report on the Federation of Small Businesses site

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Greener buildings save business electricity and promote staff well-being

24 August 2010

Using renewable or green energy can help save business electricity costs, but according to a new study from the University of Michigan it can also lead to improved staff productivity, with fewer days taken off sick.

The report, published in The Independent, focuses on environmentally friendly architecture (such as solar panels and ‘green’ window design). In the study, employees were moved from conventional buildings to those certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design scheme (LEED).

The transferred workers were less prone to stress related conditions and took fewer sick days. They were also seen to be more productive, perhaps related to improvements in their health.

LEED certification was developed in the US by the United States Green Building Council and is now recognised in most countries as the world standard for the efficient use of business energy and minimal impact on the environment.

There are many ways in which you can make your business premises more environmentally friendly and energy efficient, saving you money on business electricity and gas and improving conditions for your staff.

For some quick business energy saving tips you can implement today, visit Energy Advice Line

Read the full story in The Independent

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Over prediction for electricity generation at Goonhilly

21 August 2010

Wind power is regularly touted as the future of electricity generation in this country. Both domestic and business electricity needs will increasingly be met by electricity produced by wind turbines. But how effective are they for creating electricity?

The debate is a real hot potato among politicians, commentators and green energy campaigners. So the recent news that the new wind farm in Goonhilly, Cornwall, will produce less electricity than originally predicted will fuel the fires of the anti wind farm campaign.

When Cornwall Light and Power (CLP) submitted a planning application in 2007, six 2.5 megawatt turbines were planned. However, the turbines have now been scaled down to 2 megawatts.

CLP is replacing 14 25m turbines with the six, each standing at 107m high. The company cites “commercial availability” as the reason for the change.

The 14 existing wind turbines at Goonhilly have not exactly proved a good advertisement for wind power: in 2009, they managed to produce just 15.9 per cent of their 5.6 megawatt output capacity. This has led many to claim that CLPs predicted figures are unrealistic.

According to the BBC, the highest output from a wind farm in England in 2009 was just 32 per cent – significantly lower than what is needed to meet targets.

At EAL we are all for green energy, but concerns do remain about the viability of such projects and their ability to cope with an increasing demand and the needs of business electricity customers.

Do you think wind power is the way forward, or do you favour nuclear? Let us know by leaving a comment.

For all your business energy needs, contact Energy Advice Line.

You can read the full story at the BBC

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Small business face continued squeeze on finances

20 August 2010

Small businesses are still struggling to get adequate credit, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph. At a time when overheads such as business electricity remain at an all-time high with threats of further rises in the near future, this is not the news SME owners want to hear.

According to the figures, banks withdrew £3.5bn of credit facilities in the last month. Repayments continued to outstrip new loans, and while lack of demand has been cited as a factor, many SMEs who want to obtain new credit are finding it impossible to achieve.

Loans to SMEs have contracted by 2pc on the year, the Telegraph reports.

While larger businesses can refinance through the bond market, small businesses are unable to find alternative sources of finance. Business costs such as rent and commercial electricity are increasingly difficult for many small firms to cover and, claims the report, the main reason demand for credit appears to be shrinking is because SMEs cannot afford the rates that they are offered from banks.

Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, has warned that bank lending and the availability of credit is vital to economic recovery. He said: “strength of growth is likely to be tempered by … the persistence of tight credit conditions.”

Energy Advice Line are able to help businesses who are seeking to save on their business gas and business electricity overheads. We can provide you with free and impartial advice on switching business energy supplier to help save your business money.

We’d also like to hear your stories. Are you a small business owner who is struggling to get credit, or has had credit facilities withdrawn? How has this impacted on your business and staff?

Leave us a comment and share your story.

Read the full story in The Daily Telegraph

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Is now the time for SMEs to take an active role in the business energy market?

19 August 2010

Now is the time for small businesses to become real players in the energy market. That’s the message from climate change minister Greg Barker in his recent column in the Daily Telegraph.

Mr Barker implored the investment potential of the Feed in Tariff (FiT) scheme for both domestic and business electricity and gas customers.

“Our homes, businesses and communities can also become dynamic players in the new energy economy by producing their own green electricity and selling it back into the national grid,” Mr Barker wrote.

By investing in such technology as solar panels, businesses are able to generate their own electricity and sell any excess to their business electricity needs back to the grid.

As well as slashing business electricity costs and bringing in money, this type of scheme helps to reduce your business’s carbon footprint and improve its green credentials – increasingly important to many businesses these days.

However, putting solar panels or wind turbines on your premises is not a practical solution for every business. That’s why at Energy Advice Line we can help you find the best tariff for your business electricity or gas – taking into account what matters to you, such as green energy generation.

In his statement, Mr Barker also gave a clear message to potential investors that the UK government is committed to the renewable energy industry to ensure a secure and affordable supply of electricity for business and domestic customers alike.

You can read Mr Barker’s full column in The Daily Telegraph

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Does it matter where your business energy comes from?

18 August 2010

The Guardian reports that coal-fired power stations may have won a reprieve despite pledges to the contrary from both sides of the coalition before the general election.

Green groups fear that new coal-fired power stations such as Kingsnorth could now be given the go ahead, despite both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats calling for environmental performance standards for power companies.

This raises the question – as a small business owner, do green issues matter to you, and in tough economic times do you really care where your business electricity and gas come from?

For many businesses, keeping overheads down to ensure the business stays afloat and jobs are maintained is key priority in the current climate. Yet security of supply and affordable gas and electricity for business remain important to many SME owners too.

We want to know what you think – are green issues important for businesses in the current economic climate? Leave a comment and share your views.

Environmental Performance Standards were key factors for both Nick Clegg and David Cameron before the election. Opposition to the Kingsnorth power plant development is even enshrined in the coalition agreement,

But now the Guardian reports that government sources say the coalition will not now be bringing in EPS legislation in the autumn.

If the EPS is abandoned, the first coal power stations for 30 years could be built in the UK.

This business energy story was brought to you by Energy Advice Line, who offer free and impartial help with finding the best business electricity and business gas contracts to suit your company’s needs.
Contact EAL today for advice on switching business energy supplier.

Read the full story in The Guardian

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Bad news for business energy customers as Bank of England forecasts price hikes

16 August 2010

More grim tidings for business electricity and gas customers as the Bank of England has forecast a significant rise in energy prices in the next 12 months.

The news, contained in the bank’s inflation predictions, states that gas prices could rise by up to 5 per cent. Concern was also raised over electricity prices, although no predicted figure was given here.

Energy firms are yet to disclose their pricing strategies for 2011, but as wholesale prices continue to rise it is expected domestic and business energy customers will end up footing the bill.

This is very unwelcome news for SMEs, many of whom are still struggling to get back on their feet from the economic crisis while at the same time living in fear of the constant talk of a double-dip recession. At times like this, uncertainty over vital overheads such as business energy is the last thing business owners need.

Because of the nature of business gas and electricity contracts, firms may initially be cushioned from immediate price rises. However, come contract renewal time, business energy costs could spiral as it will be incredibly difficult to negotiate a good new rate for utilities.

That’s why it is vital as a business owner to be aware of your contract renewal date so as to ensure you don’t get rolled over into an expensive new contract.

By contacting an independent advisor such as Energy Advice Line when your contracts are up for renewal, you can let them do the hard work and have the best options for your business’s needs presented to you in one place, enabling you to make an informed decision.

Richard Hall, energy expert at Consumer Focus, told the Press Association: “An increase in energy bills would hit many cash-strapped consumers hard.”

To see how Energy Advice Line can help your business keep costs down, contact EAL today.

Read the full story at the Press Association

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5h6VGZB__OsjlXP2Nm2qEaAFXEGCA
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