Research claims turning heating down one degree could save £35m

A one degree change could save business and the public sector more than £35m a year in energy bills and help organisations save up to 30% on winter heating bills.

The work, released today (October 21) claims the service sector has heating costs accounting for more than 75% of its fuel bills.

But, simple measures such as resetting timers and replacing old controls could save 15% on annual heating costs.

The guide tells business to take simple steps like avoiding overheating and remembering when the clocks changes could be worth thousands of pounds in savings.

Carbon Trust Programmes director, Richard Rugg, said: “Many companies are in for an energy cost shock in the coming weeks as the temperature drops and heating bills rise.”

The main tips from the guides are:

·Clock on – don’t forget to reset your controls when the clocks go back later this month

·Get control – buildings with well-controlled heating systems typically have a 15-30% lower heating fuel usage

·Don’t overheat – heating costs rise by about 8% for each 1ºC of overheating. Buildings have different optimum temperatures depending on their use – use the checklist in the guide

·Maintain regularly – energy consumption of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems can increase by up to 30% if regular maintenance is not undertaken

·Think big picture – energy is wasted when heating and air conditioning work against each other so remember to look at these in the round

·Train staff – employees should receive guidance on recommended operating temperatures and how to set heating or cooling units correctly – remember there’s a common misconception that turning thermostats up as high as they go heats a room more quickly

·To date the Carbon Trust has helped its customers save 38m tonnes of carbon equivalent to direct cost savings of £3.7bn.

More information can be found on the Carbon Trust website

Luke Walsh