Business electricity users are missing out on crucial savings because employees and managers frequently “pass the buck” when it comes to saving energy at work, according to a new survey.
Only one-in-ten employees acknowledge workplace energy efficiency as their role and most small and medium-sized firms have no guidelines on energy efficiency at all.
The study of workplace habits by Big Six energy supplier E.ON showed many junior executives believed that energy efficiency in the workplace was the role of the office manager, while many office managers said it was the responsibility of the owner or more senior managers.
Owners or chief executives accepted most responsibility overall, with 22% believing it was their job to ensure the office was energy-efficient. But many bosses are failing to set an example. Almost one-quarter admitted they rarely thought about the issue, and a further 11% said they did nothing at all to be more energy-efficient.
Only 28% regularly thought about energy efficiency at work, compared to 55% when at home. The study suggested that a lack of communication played a key role in energy-efficiency being such a low priority in the workplace, with nearly two-thirds of employees receiving no clear company guidelines about energy efficiency.
Julian Morgan, managing director of the Energy Advice Line, the UK’s leading business electricity price comparison and switching service, said the survey was further evidence that many business electricity users were failing to make energy a top priority.
“Unfortunately, the survey shows that many business electricity don’t take energy as seriously as they should, and this is costing them money. It’s that simple,” Mr Morgan said.
“Many firms need to change their mindset and start treating energy like any other key business supply, rather than a secondary something they will get around to thinking about when they have time.
“Organisations that wouldn’t dream of wasting resources like stationery or equipment are simply throwing money away by wasting energy. Moreover, many are also failing to ensure that they pay the most competitive rates for the energy that they do use.
“I think many business owners believe that making energy a priority is a waste of their time; that the savings they can achieve by doing this are minimal.
“Actually they would be astonished at the amount of money they can save by changing their attitude and switching suppliers when their fixed-price energy contracts end. This doesn’t have to be a time-consuming process because reputable and independent business electricity price comparison and switching services like the Energy Advice Line can make it very simple.”
The Energy Advice Line is a consumer champion and the UK’s only independent price comparison and switching services exclusively for small and medium-sized businesses. The service enables firms to quickly and simply compare business energy and business gas prices, and to switch to the best available deal on the market.
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