Industry news
Power switch-off warnings issued
Posted Fri, 10 Feb 2012
Employers could end up saving thousands of pounds in power bills every year by making sure the lights are switched off at the end of every day - but only if it's safe to do so.
New figures suggest that businesses spend up to half of their utility bills by providing power for offices after staff have finished for the day. Smart meter readings show that up to 46% of business electricity usage occurs outside of the peak 8am-6pm working period.
This can include lights left on in empty car parks and display lights left on in shop windows. Even vending machines were found to be a drain on power, being left on overnight in many cases.
British Gas said its study revealed that firms could shave as much as £1,000 per year off electricity bills by checking that equipment and lighting is not needlessly burning up units. The company's Marc England said: "Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the UK. They tell us that reducing their costs is essential to competing in a challenging economy. However, many don't understand their electricity costs, and how they could reduce them."
Copyright Press Association 2012