Energy efficiency: saving money and the environment

You don’t need us to tell you that rising energy costs are presenting one of the biggest risks to businesses right now. But what can you do about it, especially if your business is a big energy user?

One of the first things to consider is your energy management and this is where ISO 50001 can be an enormous help. This standard specifically assists businesses to quantitatively assess their energy consumption and to use that data to proactively and continually improve energy efficiency.

As well identifying areas of significant use, ISO 50001 also guides you to recognise key energy risks and future efficiency opportunities.

Of course while the key driver at present may be cost savings, improving your energy efficiency can also reduce the environmental impact of your organisation.

This is another hugely positive outcome of managing energy, with the potential to enhance your reputation as an environmentally responsible company and gain a competitive advantage, as customers increasingly choose to deal with companies that have better environmental credentials.

Certification also puts you in a good place to navigate any upcoming legislative requirements and any self-imposed or stakeholder desired carbon reduction targets

Although a natural fit with ISO 14001, which addresses all significant environmental impacts of an organisation, ISO 50001 can be implemented individually if you want to solely concentrate on energy consumption and efficiency.

With energy markets still in a state of flux, implementing ISO 50001 should be near the top of the agenda for any business with significant energy costs.