Global energy management specialist Schneider Electric is calling for clearer advice on the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, following reports from customers who are still confused by the legislation.
The scheme was introduced in April of this year, but there are still many companies that will be affected by it who are yet to register. While qualifying organisations have until October to sign-up, David Snow, Senior Energy Consultant at Schneider Electric, is urging businesses to introduce monitoring and metering solutions sooner rather than later. He explains: “The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme requires certain companies to assess how much energy, from all fuel sources, they think they will consume in the forthcoming year. The organisation then has to purchase allowances based on this estimate. If this usage is underestimated, additional allowances will need to be purchased and this could be at a higher cost than the initial price.
“Therefore, the best way to avoid this happening is to utilise services and technologies that can help you establish current usage and predict how that might change in the future. This includes energy audits, which not only provide valuable historic and predictive data, but will highlight specific areas of a building or a certain piece of equipment that could benefit from energy efficient solutions; for example, implementing simple technologies, such as energy efficient lamps, through to fully automated systems.”
He continues: “While the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is not receiving the most positive response, it does encourage businesses to think about energy efficiency and where possible, implement solutions to reduce the amount of energy they need to buy. This is a vital step towards the future of the UK, as the reduction of carbon emissions is crucial for the sustainability of society.”