Member Article

Small firms can cash in by going green

Small businesses without green policies could be missing out on new business.

Official figures published by the EU show that almost one in nine (11%) SMEs (firms employing under 250 people) have bid for public sector contracts that included environmental requirements.

One SME in five firms cites the preconditions for public procurement as a reason to adopt an environmental management system according to the European Commission report into ‘SMEs, Resources Efficiency and Green Markets’.

Firms without a ‘green policy’ could find themselves ineligible for these contracts even if they able to compete on price and quality. Energy and utilities firm Utilitywise says little time and effort is required by SMEs wanting to put green measures in place.

Utilitywise’s Energy Audit helps firms identify areas where physical and behavioural changes can reduce electricity, gas and water consumption.

The savings from each of these measures and the payback time are set out in a customised plan that allows firms to prioritise energy saving projects with the best return on investment.

The Energy Audit covers:

• Building fabrication.

• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

• Water use.

• Lighting.

• All electrical systems including machinery.

• Any monitoring systems.

The audit tool has energy efficient products already built in, so the energy assessor can conduct an audit quickly and make recommendations about what the company needs to save energy and reduce water consumption.

Utilitywise’s Ecofit teams can then work with firms to help them implement the various energy saving projects identified in the Energy Audit.

A recent Energy Audit for a care home in Lancashire had a payback period of under nine months, saving almost £9,000 with energy saved by changing lighting at the home. Another audit for a manufacturing firm identified almost 60,000 kwh of energy saving per year.

And in many cases the Ecofit team can deliver energy savings with the fastest payback are simply a case of changing behaviour by educating staff or automating on/off switches.

Adam Thompson, Chief Operating Officer at Utilitywise said: “Going green isn’t just about saving the planet, just as important for smaller firms in the current economy is saving money and making it easier to win new business.

“The energy audit often identifies changes with an immediate payback period and in some cases, having used the audit tool to identify a problem, little investment is required, savings can be made by changing staff behavior.

“Having started out as a family run business, we understand the pressures facing small businesses, which is why we are committed to taking the hassle out of energy efficiency.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Utilitywise plc .