Public sector 'could do more' to save energy » Environment » 24dash.com

Nearly three quarters of public sector workers believe the organisation they work for is wasting energy, according to new research from npower.

In a YouGov poll for the energy provider, 74% of public sector employees questioned said they believed energy is being wasted in their workplace – a higher response than any other sector surveyed.

This is despite the research revealing that the public sector is among the leading employers in encouraging workers to take action to stop energy wastage.

Fifty eight per cent of workers confirmed they had been encouraged to save energy at work, compared to only 29% of leisure sector workers and 38% of those working in the licensed trade, such as pubs, restaurants and other food outlets.

Steve Fitzsimmons, business energy manager, said: “The high response could be as much about staff awareness of the need to reduce wastage as actual poor performance.

"The results do suggest that the public sector, like most organisations, could do more to stop energy wastage and improve energy efficiency. The awareness is there and now organisations need the tools and technology to capitalise on this and take action.

“With a number of important targets to meet in terms of efficiency measures and CO2 reductions and with the introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment  for many departments, it’s particularly important for the public sector to commit to a programme of on-going efficiency improvements.”

And npower’s research suggests that employees as well as employers have a role to play: 29% said getting staff to take action was one of the barriers to making energy savings.

Nineteen per cent said they were not sure where to make measures to stop wastage; 17% reported that time constraints were a barrier to improving energy efficiency.

“Many public sector organisations could cut energy wastage and improve efficiency by committing to an on-going programme to monitor and reduce energy consumption.

"Essentially, it’s an energy management journey that starts with better measurement of energy consumption that enables the identification and implementation of appropriate measures to reduce energy consumption,” Steve Fitzsimons added.

A new portfolio of products from npower, m3 (measure, monitor and minimise), has been developed to meet this demand, providing organisations with a comprehensive toolkit to better understand and manage their energy use, enabling them to embark on a process that will deliver a long-term and sustainable reduction in energy consumption.

The m3 toolkit includes a suite of energy management tools, including monitoring and targeting software, education programmes to equip employees with the knowledge to cut energy consumption, and support in adapting systems and equipment to work more efficiently.

An energy champion is also an effective way of improving energy efficiency.  Only 12% of those polled said they had an energy champion, despite Carbon Trust studies showing that this can greatly improve efficiency measures and CO2 reduction.