Firms Need To Take A Fresh Look At Energy Saving

Fearing that claimed energy savings are too good to be true, many printing businesses are turning their backs on energy efficient power and heating systems.

UK energy management company, Energ-G, said that some organisations view the energy efficiency issue and the well-proven and successful technologies that go with it as a 'black art'.

Paul Hamblyn, head of market development Ener-G, said: "At Ener-G we sometimes find ourselves in the bizarre position of being able to deliver savings of 25 per cent - 30 per cent only to discover that the client believes it is all too good to be true.

No matter how well and how often these technologies prove themselves there remains a minority who see them as a black art." He added that the same organisations become enthusiastic converts once they see the systems working and providing the kind of savings and efficiencies they previously thought was done with smoke and mirrors.

Paul Hamblyn said that the recent Stern Report on climate change called for private and public sector organisations to make reducing carbon emissions a top priority and government has said repeatedly that new technologies will play a vital role in helping organisations reduce their carbon footprints.

Climate change is now a headline issue around the world and the push to reduce carbon emissions has found its way on to boardroom agendas everywhere.

He explained that the Kyoto Protocol did not just change the way governments are expected to tackle global warming, it also placed a burden on organisations of all kinds to find ways of cutting their emissions through the use of new energy technology and energy efficiency management.

Hamblyn continued: "The problem is that some organisations are missing out on opportunities to cut their energy costs and improve their energy efficiency because they don't know what to believe and who to listen to.

That makes no sense for them, it makes no sense for the energy management industry and it is damaging Britain's ability to deliver on its Kyoto targets." And he added: "It is a collective failure to the get the energy efficiency message across to the organisations that need it most.

Government, our industry and the media has a responsibility to tackle the suspicions and doubts.

We have the technology and expertise to make a huge difference to organisations in this country - the proof is out there for anyone to see - but we simply have to do more to get that message across.".

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