Create an energy efficient work culture

Saving energy will require your employees to take on some of the responsibility. So it's important to consult them and get their buy-in before changing your practices.

Energy-saving measures that are difficult, inconvenient or impractical to implement are likely to be ignored or withdrawn. This will undermine any future attempts to reduce energy use.

You might want to consider appointing an energy champion who is in charge of finding new ways of cutting the amount of power you use. Their responsibilities could include:

reporting any energy waste they notice - e.g. equipment left on unnecessarily
ensuring equipment and machinery are well-maintained and working efficiently
contributing and gathering ideas for improving the way things are done
testing and implementing processes that are found to be more efficient
communicating good practice and improvements.

Carbon Trust: Footprinting and reporting

Remember to bear in mind any health and safety issues before you implement any changes. For example, could reducing lighting in an area of your premises make it difficult for your employees to move around safely?

Zero Waste Scotland has produced a series of free, online training modules for SMEs. The training will help develop the skills and knowledge needed to put in place effective resource efficiency measures in your business. They deal with energy, waste and water efficiency. You can work through them at your own speed, choosing the modules that are relevant to your business.
Business Energy Scotland: Green Champions Training

Further information

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