The Small Changes that make a Big Difference

We are proud of the fact that our business model is sustainable in encouraging people to keep I.T. equipment in use for as long as we can. However, we are always looking to improve what we do. Asking ourselves how we could become more sustainable in the way we power the building has been a big part of that, which is why we approached our Local Enterprise Partnership with a request for a green energy audit earlier this year.

The audit, which took half a day and was carried out by specialist consultancy My Green Investment, looked into big issues like solar panels as well as smaller steps we could make to improve our carbon footprint. It provided some practical advice on steps our business could take to improve our impact on the environment whilst also helping the bottom line. The result was a series of recommendations that surprised us by how easy some of them could be as well as some of the things it advised against.

When we first started looking at energy usage we were looking to make big changes, specifically solar panels. However, the green audit signalled that there are three low or no cost measures that result in 5.6% more cost saving per year, and more than a 1200% increase in CO2 savings. Metering and monitoring at half hourly intervals, ensuring the immersion heater is not in use, switching to a green energy provider and encouraging staff to do the same may seem humdrum, but they make a huge difference. The report went on to suggest other small changes too.

Switching to radiant heaters in the workshop, adding controls to the heating that allow temperature adjustments to different areas of the building, plastic curtains at the shutters to reduce heat loss, renewing loft insulation, adding daylight sensing lighting controls, power saving socket timers and managing air conditioning with the increased use of windows are all examples of good housekeeping that would result in massive savings to the energy bill and CO2 emissions. Along with solar panels, this would save the company almost £10,000 per year.

The challenge for us now is to apply the nitty-gritty to our facility at the same time as running the day to day business. Like everything we do, our environmental strategy is continuously improving. We have already installed sensors on the lighting system, climbed up on the roof to check the boiler and switched to a green energy provider. We have also been making other changes like sorting all waste into plastics, paper and glass and changing our waste collection contact. Next on the list will be assessing how viable other suggestions are. The plastic curtain in the warehouse is an example of this -  can we do this without it interfering with customer deliveries?

Wherever this journey takes us next, it has been great to have a road map. In a company like ours, full of enthusiastic creative thinkers, we are never short of ideas. The green audit has taught us that the small stuff is important too, even if it is overlooked sometimes. We would definitely recommend a green audit to anyone. Free of charge through the local council, it results in significant cost savings and a host of practical tips. Plus, the warm happy glow of making positive changes.