Action on energy efficiency

The results for action taken on energy efficiency show there is a real momentum in the workplace with union reps informing us of a wide variety of initiatives. A third of respondents were able to say that their employer now has a comprehensive scheme for replacing VDU screens. A further 30% said there was a comprehensive scheme for installing lighting controls, followed by ensuring computers are switched off when not in use (29%), and cutting night time and weekend electricity consumption (26%).

Top five comprehensive schemes for energy efficiency

However, this still left just under a quarter of employers (24%) still taking no action on replacing VDU screens, 18% not attending to night time and weekend electricity consumption, and 17% taking no action to reduce emissions from lights left on.

It was clear from the survey that while union reps have helped bring about much needed improvements in workplace energy use there is still much more that can be done.

A minority of employers had undertaken a comprehensive review of their energy supply and management systems. As regards energy supply, the survey showed:

• Only 8% of employers have comprehensive renewable energy supply schemes, such as wind turbines and solar panels, and 68% have taken no action at all.

• Only 10% of employers have switched to a renewable energy supplier, and 63% have done nothing.

• Only 14% of employers have implanted comprehensive changes to their ventilation/air conditioning systems and 40% have done nothing.

• Just 16% had comprehensive schemes for insulation and glazing (compared to 38% who had done nothing) and 20% had comprehensive schemes for new boilers and heating systems (compared to 38% who had done nothing).

• Positively, in response to nearly all the energy efficient initiatives listed a majority of respondents were able to say that their employer had either implemented a comprehensive scheme or was at least taking some measures. However, this was not the case for installing renewable energy sources or switching to a renewable energy supplier where 68% and 63% of employers had taken no action.

These results compare favourably to the LRD green workplace survey in 2009. In every single category there was an increase in the number of respondents who were able to say their employer was implementing a comprehensive scheme on energy efficiency. This was most significant when it came to lighting controls with an 11 percentage point increase in the number of respondents saying there was a comprehensive scheme compared to three years ago. Other areas where there was a significant increase in comprehensive schemes were computer standby (up 7 percentage points), cutting night time and weekend electricity consumption (up 7 percentage points), new boilers/heating system (up 6 percentage points) and ventilation/air conditioning changes (up 6 percentage points). The least significant change was on switching to a renewable energy supplier (up 2 percentage points).