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Manufacturers’ claims about the expected energy efficiency of their equipment aren’t fully trusted by their customers, according to new research released by the Carbon Trust.
The survey reveals that just 5% of professionals responsible for sourcing equipment for their organisations are very confident in the energy saving claims made by manufacturers, with a quarter (24%) not confident at all.
One in three stated that a lack of credible information about equipment was a significant barrier to improving their organisation’s energy efficiency. The research also found that two-thirds of respondents didn’t fully take into account the whole life costs of equipment when making purchasing decisions.
Lighting is by some distance the most popular purchase; nine out of 10 organisations have invested in new lights over the past two years and 82% expect further investment in the next 12 months.
Other popular categories for expected upcoming purchases include HVAC equipment (56%), boiler equipment (52%), electric motors and drives (47%) and pipework insulation (45%).
The survey also found that the most significant barriers to improving an organisation’s energy efficiency are making a business case for purchasing energy efficient equipment (57%); competing organisational priorities (50%); availability of finance (38%); risk of disruption to operations (35%); lack of credible information about products (33%) and finding good quality suppliers (32%).
Another finding was that almost half of respondents (45%) were not aware of the existence of the Energy Technology List (ETL). The ETL is a UK government scheme managed by the Carbon Trust on behalf of the Department for Energy and Climate Change. It independently tests and lists products that show top quartile energy saving performance.
It is the world’s largest database of its kind, currently covering products across 57 technology categories. Over the lifetime of the ETL the Carbon Trust has assessed almost 60,000 products against scheme criteria. Businesses that purchase products that meet ETL criteria may be eligible for Enhanced Capital Allowances, providing accelerated tax relief.
‘Organisations that want to save money on energy bills and cut carbon emissions should think carefully about the total cost of ownership for equipment. The case for investing in better energy efficiency often seems blindingly obvious, but making good decisions depends on having good quality, reliable information.’
Paul Huggins, Associate Director at the Carbon Trust
Click here to find out more about the Energy Technology List.
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