Faulty heating could be costing your business thousands

With colder weather drawing in, businesses are turning on their heating systems to keep employees happy.  But old or faulty heating equipment could be using more energy than new efficient systems, thereby costing businesses significantly.

To save money and energy, insurer RSA is calling for businesses to lead the way in reducing their carbon footprint by making their buildings more energy efficient.  With buildings being responsible for almost 50% of the UK's energy consumption, small changes can make a vast improvement and can lead to thousands of pounds of savings every year.

Energy audits assess energy flows in a building and provide property owners with recommendations on how to improve the building's energy efficiency thereby saving money and helping the environment.

Often the initial investment required to implement audit recommendations can be quickly recouped by saving on energy bills.  

RSA's office in Manchester followed its audit recommendations and purchased a duct for its heating and ventilation system at a cost of £15,000. This investment has led to an annual saving of £6,000 and 36,171kg of CO2 per annum.

One other company which carried out an energy audit, will potentially make an annual saving of £27,000 and 126,700kg of CO2 after being advised by RSA.  The audit recommended it carried out a full modification of its air conditioning system at an investment of £32,900 and within fifteen months the company could save in excess of that amount.  

And it's not only major investments that can lead to big savings.  Another company is paying £750 to reset its heating and ventilation set points and is expected to make an annual saving of £4,200 and 25,319kg of CO2.

Alex Matthias, Energy Management Leader at RSA, said, "When winter comes, many businesses turn on the heating and think nothing more about it.  They could be wasting significant amounts of energy and money.  Carrying out an energy audit could lead to significant savings in the long term.

"As an energy audit provider and keen campaigner for reducing energy use, we want businesses to understand that minor changes to the property's heating and ventilation systems could not only save them thousands but could also play a significant part in reducing the UK's carbon emissions."