by Shane Henson — February 24, 2012—A recent report by the U.K. division of global engineering and technology services company Siemens found that many U.K. businesses are doing less in the area of energy management than energy management professionals working within the companies feel is needed.
The Siemens Green League report, which reflects the views of 600 businesses, reveals a mismatch between the views of the board and their energy managers, with the boardroom much more confident about its efforts in energy management than those operating at the “coal face.” According to the report, 83% of board directors believe that their organization is, in fact, serious about energy management. However, one in three (31%) of those responsible for energy management in U.K. businesses say that the issue is not being taken seriously by their organization.
As a significant area of cost for U.K. businesses, the authors of the report were surprised to find that more than a quarter (27%) of board directors did not know what their energy bill was, while one fifth (18%) did not know what their investment in energy management would be over the next three years.
Almost one in three (30%) board directors blame a lack of perceived return on investment for preventing a commitment to energy efficiency measures, while nearly one in ten (9%) said they cannot afford to invest in energy management projects.
The lack of focus on energy management at board level was highlighted further by an absence of dedicated resource both in terms of people and investment. Nearly half (43%) of energy managers admitted to only spending up to 10% of their time on energy management, with other duties such as health and safety and facilities management taking up the bulk of their time.
On the positive side, 70% of businesses are planning investment in energy efficiency projects in the next three years. Food and automotive manufacturing organizations demonstrated the strongest commitment to energy management in terms of their knowledge and attitudes, current behaviors and investment plans, according to the report.
