Energy Matters

Our planet is in a climate change crisis and our carbon footprints are bigger than ever!

A carbon footprint measures a business’ carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, which come from a wide range of activities like energy consumption, supply chains, and industrial processes.

In the UK, small businesses collectively have an estimated carbon footprint of at least 6% of the country’s annual carbon emissions, contributing 25 million tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. And the impact of medium and large businesses is far greater.

Despite this, only a third of businesses are currently taking action to reduce their carbon emissions. No matter which industry you look at - from education to hospitality to manufacturing - there’s a lot of room for improvement.

But it’s not just businesses that emit greenhouse gases. Modern buildings have carbon footprints thanks to heating, cooling, lighting, and appliances. In the US, buildings contribute a huge 39% of the carbon dioxide emitted each year. In addition, the average individual also generates 4.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year through lifestyle activities, with the food production industry making up around 68% of this!

So, when it comes to carbon footprint reduction, we can all make changes. However, the biggest impact can be made by businesses in the industrial and commercial sectors - the big energy consumers of our modern world.

How can you reduce the carbon footprint of your business?

As you focus more on decarbonisation and sustainability, why not try these expert tips for carbon footprint reduction for your business…

1. Join the global race to net zero and set your goals with a realistic target for where you want to be in 2-, 5-, or 10-years’ time. Many countries are aiming for net zero by 2050!
2. Begin your energy monitoring journey with Eniscope. If you don’t know where and when you’re wasting energy, it’s difficult to make savings. But Eniscope makes energy consumption visible minute-by-minute, building a clear picture of your energy wastage. ‘Monitoring and Targeting’ is where all energy-saving projects should begin.
3. Identify areas of waste that you can target for improved energy efficiency. No problem if you don’t have any in-house expertise. With Best Energy’s Virtual Energy Management, we combine human expertise with the power of AI. Analysing millions of bits of Eniscope data every second, AI finds energy-saving opportunities at breakneck speed, then our team of Virtual Energy Managers curates the findings and advises you on how to unlock savings.
4. Implement your energy-saving measures to make an immediate impact on your carbon footprint reduction and your energy costs. Our Virtual Energy Managers will recommend how and where you can save energy, so the people on the ground can make the right changes to reduce your carbon footprint.
5. Educate key stakeholders in your business and encourage behaviour change at all levels - like switching off appliances when not in use. Reducing your carbon footprint is a joint effort, so it helps to get everyone on-board with the changes being made.
6. Go green and plan for renewable energy as a longer-term option once you’ve reduced your energy usage. Best.Energy believes that energy efficiency is the cleanest way to achieve your carbon footprint reduction. It’s a no-brainer - before looking at clean energy sources, why not reduce how much energy you’re using in the first place to see more immediate results.

The value of carbon footprint reduction for businesses

With energy prices at a high point, it’s costing businesses up to 25% of their total expenditure on energy each year - an unsustainable drain on cash reserves. So, it’s not surprising that businesses around the world are looking for ways to cut their high energy costs and how to reduce their carbon footprints simultaneously.

Regardless of these immense costs, a third of businesses are still not taking any action. Many report that they don’t know how to measure their emissions, they lack in-house expertise, the cost of change is too expensive, or the payback of implementation is too long.

But Best.Energy makes it simple and takes some of these barriers away:

• Eniscope can accurately measure your energy usage
• our team of Virtual Energy Managers means you don’t need in-house expertise
• you’ll see an overall net gain after installing our energy monitoring and targeting solution
• the payback of implementation is often just a year or less for many of our clients!

And the best part - the impact of energy efficiency on your carbon footprint and your energy bills is instant.

So, join the race to net zero and get a head start with the Eniscope energy monitoring system. Learn more about carbon footprint reduction for your business with energy monitoring and targeting today.