Industry wastes £7m a day

UK industry wastes £7 million a day on poor energy efficiency, according to a report from the Carbon Trust.

But reducing carbon emissions is now top of the agenda for business leaders, the report found.

Twice as many firms say reducing carbon emissions has risen up their agenda in the last six months than those who say it has fallen down (20 per cent compared to nine per cent).

Energy efficiency is now ranked ahead of recruitment freezes, redundancies, freezing salaries or giving below-inflation pay rises as a potential cost-saving measure, the report added.

Hugh Jones, solutions director at the Carbon Trust, said: "Our research shows that energy efficiency measures, not job cuts or salary freezes, are the cost-cutting steps businesses are considering first during this economically challenging time.

"We're talking about money that could be saved by making quick and easy changes such as encouraging staff to turn off computers and lights, turning down the heating, or maintaining equipment properly."

The Carbon Trust found UK businesses could collectively save nearly £2.5 billion during the next 12 months, equivalent to the combined annual salaries of more than 100,000 employees on an average wage.

Neil Bentley, director of business environment at the CBI said, "We welcome these findings from the Carbon Trust, which support the CBI's conclusions that, despite a choppy economic outlook, climate change remains a priority for business."

The Carbon Trust, a government-funded group which helps firms to reduce their carbon emissions, is recommending companies to take simple steps such as switching off lights and computers at night.