The UK’s small businesses could potentially shrink both their energy bills and the nation’s carbon footprint by switching to advanced energy meters, new research has found.
A three-year study by the Carbon Trust has concluded that small firms could save 2.5m tonnes of CO2 per year by using more detailed metering technology, which is equivalent to the entire annual carbon footprint of Bristol.
The report, published today, is the result of the UK’s largest study to date, which involved the installation of advanced meters at more than 580 sites nationwide.
The study found that small firms saved an average of £1,000 a year on energy bills and cut carbon emissions by 12% by using advanced metering, which provides more detailed information about energy usage.
The Carbon Trust claims that nationwide use of the meters would create savings of £300m for small firms and is now urging the government to take action to achieve this.
Commenting on the research, Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust, said: “To harness this potential there needs to be a structured and sustainable roll out of this important technology to help the UK meet its commitment to cut carbon emissions by 60% by 2050.”
“Widespread use of advanced metering will also create new business opportunities for energy suppliers and metering service providers.”
The report has also been welcomed by Stephen Hale, director of the Green Alliance, who acknowledged a clear opportunity to use metering to drive carbon and cost savings for small firms.
He said: “The forthcoming Energy White Paper represents a golden opportunity for the government to introduce policy measures to ensure the potential of this technology is realised in full.”
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