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industry & government news

UK COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES WASTING

£60M IN AVOIDABLE ENERGY BILLS

UK BUSINESSES ARE wasting energy to
the tune of £60 million in unnecessary
energy bills, according to a new Green
Alliance report that is calling for better
commercial energy management to
help reach the UK’s climate targets.
The new report from the think tank
Green Alliance, written for its Tech Task
Force, revealed that wasted energy from
the City of London’s offices alone is
equivalent to the amount used to power
more than 65,000 homes and is costing
businesses in the city £35 million a year.
The Green Alliance has revealed
that this generates carbon emissions
equivalent to 46,000 cars annually,
according to a report from edie.
Energy waste across less than 3,300
offices in Manchester, Bristol, Leeds
and Birmingham could power more
than 42,000 homes, and is costing
businesses £25 million annually in
avoidable energy bills.
With the Committee on Climate
Change (CCC) noting that reducing energy
waste is critical to meeting the UK’s
enshrined net zero emissions target for
2050, the new report calls on businesses
to turn to technological innovations to
save money and reduce emissions.
The Green Alliance’s Senior Policy WASTED ENERGY FROM LONDON’S OFFICES COULD POWER 65,000 HOMES
Analyst Caterina Brandmayr said: “We
all work for or know businesses that carbon emissions. Cities will play a for 40 per cent of national energy use
waste energy, whether it’s leaving lights leading role in cutting emissions and and around one-third of emissions.
on at night or wasting heat. It’s hard to would be a great place to start the UK’s Government legislation and
see why dealing with this problem isn’t business energy efficiency revolution.” proposals include plans for all rented
yet a priority, for companies in terms of The government has committed to commercial buildings to be required
cost savings or for the government in cutting energy use by at least 20 per to operate at a minimum energy
reaching its carbon targets. cent by 2030, but the Green Alliance has efficiency standard of EPC band B
“Digital technology is an obvious and warned that existing policies will not put by 2030. This alone, the government
inexpensive way to track and control measures in place to achieve the target. claims, could save businesses £1
energy use, cutting business costs and The built environment accounts billion per year in energy bills.

individual needs and for some that tariff innovations as energy suppliers
means knowing their energy is from scramble to draw up new offerings
environmentally friendly sources.” to increasingly climate conscious
The new green tariff is a fixed price consumers. Dedicated renewable
tariff until July 2022, with the average power, green gas, and electric vehicle
bill for customers clocking in at tariffs are becoming increasingly
£1,237 – a level British Gas described common, while time-of-use tariffs –
as a “slight premium” on its standard where customers can take advantage
rates. The average energy bill for a of cheap prices during low demand
three-bedroom house stands at around periods – offer an opportunity to
£1,163 a year. help balance the grid while curbing THE TARIFF OFFERS CUSTOMERS 100 PER CENT
The offer is the latest in a wave of customers’ bills. RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY AND 10 PER CENT GREEN GAS

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13/02/2020 13:38
News.indd 4
News.indd 4 13/02/2020 13:38