Energy prices are near top of manufacturers` worries
UK manufacturers are almost as worried by rising energy prices as they are about the state of the economy, according to a new poll conducted for the Carbon Trust. The survey of 700 UK businesses with annual energy bills between £50,000 and £3m, revealed that 53% of manufacturers are worried by energy price hikes – slightly behind the 57% who are most concerned by the economy.
Just 19% of the manufacturers surveyed were worried about environmental legislation, and 16% about a possible change of government.
The poll was conducted to promote a new campaign that offers free on-site energy surveys to companies that spend £50,000–£3m a year on energy. The Trust says that these surveys will typically identify potential savings of 20–30% on energy costs. It hopes that the campaign, called Best Advice, will persuade British companies to stop wasting more than £3bn worth of energy a year.
Businesses that spend less than £50,000 a year on energy will be able access a free online tutorial on cutting energy costs, that includes a video. The tutorial shows how to calculate their potential savings and to develop a plan to achieve these savings.
Nearly half of the manufacturers surveyed for the Carbon Trust poll (49%) said that one of their three top resolutions for 2010 was to cut the amount of energy they use. Despite this, 13% revealed that there was no one within their organisation responsible for managing energy consumption and controlling costs.