Top Tips for Energy Efficiency

Through taking on board the simple but effective suggestions made by CNG’s expert energy team, businesses can save money in the following areas:

1. Heating, ventilation, insulation
2. Lighting
3. Office equipment
4. Refrigeration
5. Boiler savings
6. Catering

Savings on heating, ventilation and insulation
DID YOU KNOW?

• Draught reduction can help save you up to 35 per cent on your heating bills.
• Try not to block or obstruct the heat flow from radiators or other heat sources
• Match heating levels with occupancy times, i.e. don’t leave your heating on at evenings and weekends
• Don’t heat rooms above their required levels
• Check that you don’t ever have the air conditioning on at the same time as the heating!
• Fit thermostatic radiator valves where possible
• If you have the heating on try to minimise draughts so you feel the benefit, i.e. close windows and shut doors. By effectively insulating and draught-proofing you can hugely influence the reduction in heat loss from your building and consequently save money.
• Other helpful additions include draught-proof doors and windows with self-adhesive thermal strips. These can boost heat loss reduction by up to 10 per cent.
• Take a close look at you main entrance doors too. Regular opening and closing is wasting your heat resources. Where possible look at automatic closure doors. A more cost effective measure is a plastic strip curtain. Warehouses and garages can look at rapid roller shutters to improve heat retention.
• Finally, proper insulation of cavity walls, roof voids, valves and pipes can significantly reduce heat loss.

Savings on lighting
DID YOU KNOW?

• By leaving the lights on all night you are wasting enough power to run a car for 100 miles
• Invest in a spring clean of your light fittings. Have an electrician increase the number of light switches that control large banks of lights, so you only every switch on the necessary amount of lights.
• Fit all outdoor lighting with photo sensitive controls
• Reduce lighting levels in little used areas such as stores
• Replace tungsten filament bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs where possible
• Perhaps fit presence detectors into infrequently used areas to avoid over use

Savings on office equipment
DID YOU KNOW?

• The power used when a PC is left on over night is enough o make 200 cups of coffee.
• Switch off monitors at night and lunchtime
• Turn off computers, photocopiers, water coolers and printers each night
• Move photocopiers outside of any air-conditioned areas as they represent a large heat output

Savings on refrigeration
DID YOU KNOW?

• Using night blinds on refrigeration units can reduce energy costs by as much as 25 per cent.
• Check there are no bubbles in the sight glass and the oil in the sight glass is at the correct level
• Ensure no products are stacked near the evaporator that may obstruct airflow
• Ensure evaporators are defrosting properly
• Check the temperature is not any colder than it needs to be
• Minimise all heat sources in the cold stores (lights etc)
• Fit all dairy walls with night blinds

Savings on boilers
DID YOU KNOW?

• Clean and service the boiler regularly
• Turn boilers and pilots off when there is no demand for heat in work areas
• Ensure adequate ventilation in boiler room to enable efficient combustion (i.e. enough air)
• Install economiser to recover heat from flue gases
• Insulate all boilers, distribution pipes and valves

Catering 
DID YOU KNOW?

• Service catering equipment regularly
• Turn pilots off on all equipment not in use
• Ensure all oven seals are fitted correctly
• Don’t forget – gas fired catering equipment does generally tend to offer significant fuel cost savings to its electric counterpart.

Financial Incentives
Low cost or interest free loans can be available for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) from public funds. For current schemes available please advise people to visit the websites of Carbon Trust and Energy Savings Trust.

The Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme (ECA) offers tax incentives to businesses that invest in energy saving equipment. For more detailed information they can visit ECA’s website.