Large offices with multiple light switches are a classic energy hungry environment. The first person in will turn on all the lights as they have no idea which switch turns on the light over their desk. The lights are likely to remain on all day – even when it’s light and bright inside in late morning and early afternoon.

With lighting accounting for up 40% of your electricity bill a simple label next to each switch can instantly make a difference for little or no cost. It also begins selling an energy saving message encouraging further initiatives by employees.

Gaia Active works with businesses to drive down and control energy consumption. If you would like to hear more about how we can help your business, feel free to call us on 02476 236446 or email enquiries@gaiaactive.com.

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Run the fridge at between 3-5 degrees C and avoid putting hot or warm food in the fridge, let it cool down first. If you have to site your fridge next to the cooker or boiler, then leave a gap between them. Both of these ideas will stop your fridge from over working and putting an unnecessary strain on the motor.

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Hold an energy awareness meeting, quiz or fun day and invite wider members of your organisation.

For users with the GAIA system print off a copy of your energy data profile once a week and post on to a notice board with. Target the business to reduce kw consumption by 5%. Report back each week on how you have done.

More tips here:

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On the of the skills of any Energy Saving message is to ‘connect’ with your audience. The message has to say to the recipient what’s it for them and why they will benefit from adhering to the action required.

To do this all Energy Saving Campaigns need to develop a business wide Compelling Message and tag line. The tag line then should be used to remind staff why their action can make a difference.

More: How to write a Compelling Message – Free Checklist

GAIA (Haydn)

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In summer, use fans wherever possible instead of air conditioning and ventilate at night this way when practical. Using fans with air con allows you to raise the thermostat temperature, using less energy. In addition, fans cost far less to buy and run than air conditioning units.

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One of the greatest challenges for businesses is engaging their staff within the energy saving program. When achieved the next challenge is to sustain these messages.

Our 5 top tips to create a sustainable energy saving message:

1) Create a team to lead the initiative from diverse parts of your business.

2) Identify good ‘connectors’ people who are good at selling messages within a business.

3) Ensure energy consumption is part of the regular management meeting agenda.

4) Use the energy data visually – print of weekly reports and display on a notice board.

5) Broaden the project within a wider Corporate Social Responsibility project or within ISO14001. This increases the likelihood of longevity.

GAIA

www.gaiaactive.com

See how you can save with GAIA: Get a FREE energy evaluation.

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Computer monitors use twice the energy of the PC itself.  If the computer cannot be turned off, them turn off the monitor.

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Avoid the battle between air conditioning and heating.

Check that heating and air conditioning do not come on together. This is a common mistake whereby companies turn on heating in the morning after cold night but a sunny day follows over heating the building and setting off air conditioning units.

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Low Carbon Event for Manufacturers in Leicestershire: http://www.mas-em.org.uk/events/low-carbon-initiative-access-meeting-1

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One of the great red herrings in Energy Efficiency is that more meters provide more information. More meters will obviously provide more data, but if the data adds little to your current activities then the expenditure is unnecessary.

GAIA often meet businesses who have understandably fallen into this trap. They proudly show us their Energy Monitoring System but when questioned can’t really interpret what it is saying or more importantly make sensible actions from it.

It seems anyone can easily fall into a ‘data overload’ whereby you can see everything but action little.

Here’s our 5 top tips on Sub Metering.

• If legislation requires you to have sub metering or even smart metering consider first what is necessary to comply first.
• With legal compliance out of the way then consider for each site or area what is the ‘variable’ energy consumption is each area. Variable energy is consumption you can have influence over managing. Then rank each site by this criteria. Consider both the machinery and human matters when ranking these.
• Think actions not data. e.g: What can this tell me if I meter it?  You don’t want a new job analysing data feeds that will not help you make change.
• Remember the key route to sustainable Energy Saving is staff behaviour and education. Will your sub metering data help you do this?
• Clarify and Re-Clarify  your Goal at the start with your Senior Colleagues. Are you doing this to save money,  meet legislative requirements, help the business expand or demonstrate a competitive edge over competitors. Which ever you choose will have a significant impact on the investment you undertake and will avoid time wasting.

GAIA February 2010

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