Make a Plan to Save Energy

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Saving energy will reduce costs and cut your carbon footprint. There are many measures you can take to cut your energy usage, and lots are free or low cost.

Because there are six different areas to saving energy and cutting your carbon output, a plan helps you keep track of the activities you want to take. The areas are:

Cut energy usage and reduce wasted energy
Insulate your premises
Use a sustainable supplier
Train staff and encourage customers
Reduce transport: yours, your customers', your suppliers'
Use alternate and renewable forms of energy and/or heating

How to make an energy saving plan

Your plan should be a short working document that is a useful tool for planning what you are going to do and how.

An energy saving plan does four things:

Shows how much energy you are currently using
Reviews where you can cut energy and sets your targets and timescales
Identifies the steps you need to take and who will do what
Shows how you'll monitor your success

Step 1 - Monitoring your usage

It is very hard to save energy if you don't know how much you are currently using. The first step is to monitor your usage. There are a number of ways to do this:

Review your bills - provided your bills aren't estimated, this is the most accurate way to see how much you're using over time!
Take regular meter readings (gas, electric, oil usage etc) over a period of time - this is very useful to see what you're using when, and helps identify activities or equipment with a high draw. Take meter readings at the end of one day and the beginning of the next to identify what's being used overnight. Can you account for this?
Identify what equipment uses what energy - you can buy devices that will do this for you (see http://www.theowl.com/faq.php as an example) or you can read the plugs or energy labels which show consumption.

Summarise what you find into Page 1 of your plan. Show your overall average usage. Note any peaks and troughs. Describe activities and equipment that cause you to use a lot of power, heating or fuel.

Step 2 - Identifying cuts and setting targets

Once you know what you're using you begin to get a good idea of where you can make cuts. You should make a comprehensive list of these. Some will be practical and easy or instant to introduce. Some will require more time or planning and a few may be just 'wish list' ideas - things you'd do if you had the funds or time in the future. Even though you won't have an active plan for these last ideas, they are still worth having on the list - technology is changing and grants for bigger energy saving works are sometimes available which may make taking that action a viable option.

To identify ways to cut energy usage and carbon output you'll need to:

Look over the review of your bills and spot areas of high use. Could you change routines, practices or equipment with lower energy substitutes?
Do an energy walk round - this means physically walking around your premises to see the following. The Carbon Trust provides a useful guide and checklist for an energy walk round. You'll need to register (free and quick) to download the guide from http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/Publications/publicationdetail.htm?productid=CTL003&metaNoCache=1.
The purpose of a walk round is to see
a. what is being used where - and can it be reduced?
b. what is being wasted
c. where you can better insulate, draught proof and replace with low energy options.
Review the Toolkit Saving Energy pages - particularly Cut Energy Usage, Insulate Your Premises, Greener Energy Suppliers, Energy Saving Staff, Reduce Transport, Renewable Energy for Your Business - for ideas.
Draw up a list of actions - including any 'wish list' ones
Decide which actions you can realistically tackle and within what time frame.
Set your targets - realistic targets are to cut fuel consumption by between 10 and 20% within six months. Don't forget to include a time element or your actions may never get implemented.

Summarise your list of actions into Short Term, Medium Term, Long Term and Wish List and write them down as Part 2 of your plan.

Step 3 - Planning your steps

Part 3 of your plan will be all about how you'll make your cuts. You'll need to think each energy saving idea through and decide how this will get done, by whom and when. You'll also need to think about training your staff and encouraging your customers.

Review your list of actions and decide the order you can implement them.
Think each step through and decide how it can be done - involve any relevant staff.
Identify any costs and get any specialist advice.
Organise your budget if there are cost implications.
Identify which members of staff are responsible for what - make sure they have enough time to undertake their tasks. Make sure they can get access to the information and support they need.
Identify general staff training requirements and source/write materials, presentations, checklists, signs etc.
Write a checklist of actions (including training) with timescales so you have an easy to follow plan.
Present your ideas and your plan to your staff, put up signs and notices and get going!

Step 4 - Monitoring your success

As soon as you start to implement your plan, you should notice the effects on your bottom line. You need to share and celebrate this success with your staff (and customers) to keep them motivated. You also need to make sure that old energy habits don't creep back in and that everyone stays alert for new ways to keep saving.

Take regular meter readings and chart your progress.
Do regular energy walk rounds and see if actions are being implemented - and what new ones could be added to the plan.
Hold regular review meetings with members of staff who are actively involved - discuss and resolve issues.
Regularly inform all staff of progress through staff meetings, emails, notices, newsletters etc.
Gather any responses, ideas or feedback from staff and customers and continue to monitor sites like the Carbon Trust website for additional information and ideas.
Regularly review and adjust your plan accordingly (once every four to six months).
Celebrate your success and share your efforts with your customers through notices, newsletters and your marketing material.

For more ideas on making an energy saving plan and cutting your carbon footprint visit The Carbon Trust website.

Suggested next step:

Cut energy usage

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