Isra-Mart srl: Businesses urged to flick switch on £700m in efficient lighting savings

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Isra-Mart news:

UK businesses and the public sector could cut their annual energy bills by up to £700m a year by switching to energy efficient lighting technologies, according to a report from the Carbon Trust.

The company yesterday launched a new guide detailing how embracing lighting best practices, such as installing efficient LED bulbs or automated sensor-based controls, can help the average organisation reduce energy bills by a fifth.

It added that companies with significant lighting requirements such as supermarkets, retailers and large office environments could cut electricity use by between 30 per cent and 50 per cent by installing efficient lighting technologies.

Some firms are reluctant to invest in energy efficient lighting technologies on the grounds that they can cost more than traditional lighting systems.

However, the report also argues that with lighting accounting for around a fifth of all the electricity used in the UK, even zero cost measures such as encouraging staff to switch lights off when they are not in use can deliver savings equivalent to around £350m or 2.2 million tonnes of CO2 a year.

"As the Christmas lights go on and the days grow shorter, I'm urging businesses to think about the huge savings they could make by boosting the efficiency of their lighting systems," said Richard Rugg, director of Carbon Trust Programmes.

"From simple reminders to turn the lights off, to installing the latest in lighting technology, there's £700m and 4.4 million tonnes in CO2 emissions to be saved by UK businesses making lighting more efficient. The guide demonstrates how businesses can dramatically reduce both their carbon output and their bottom line."

The free guide contains a wide range of recommendations designed to help companies reduce their lighting bills, including proposals to install modern lighting controls, ensure fittings are positioned to reduce the number of bulbs you need, and switch to energy efficient technologies that can deliver rapid rates of return.