£12.7bn of energy wasted in offices

It all comes down to insulation…

This report from E.ON – another power company hungry for green exposure – explains a little more.

Key findings:

·       A staggering £12.7 billion and 7.1 billion tonnes of CO2 nationwide is wasted by offices not taking the basic energy savings steps taken at home.

·       From an ICM poll of over 1000 SME employees 78% fail to transfer basic energy saving behaviour from the home to the office and 65% ignore company policy on environmental initiatives

·       56 % afraid to ask permission from boss at work

·       55 % lack of financial incentive

·       26% because of ridicule at work

Dr Clough, who is behind the research, said: “Whilst business conventions such as the bowler hat have been consigned to history, employees are still reluctant to stand out in the workplace as environmentally conscious. Within many organisations a degree of bravado and desire to flaunt rules can see those abiding by sensible green policies labelled ‘jobsworths’ or worse. Without significant incentive, such ingrained behaviours can be hard to overturn.”

Jim Macdonald, Commercial Director of E.ON, said: “Collectively Britain’s businesses account for 35 per cent4 of the UK’s carbon emissions and these emissions are still rising, in contrast to the energy savings carried out in our homes.

The resultant carbon footprint from staff failures to switch off the lights and computers overnight for a typical small business is equivalent to a roundtrip long haul flight.  Our study shows that the right training and incentives can help change behaviour.”