UK Employees Ready to Help Cut Costs Around the Workplace

LONDON - Employees Point to Reducing Energy use as an Easy win

Employees are increasingly accepting responsibility for helping save
money around the workplace according to new research released today by the
Carbon Trust, with the majority (87%) saying it’s important for them to help
their employer cut costs in the current climate, and 78% willing to be more
energy efficient to save money.

Almost half (46%) of UK employees say they are now more likely to try to
help their employer save money than before the credit crunch kicked in.

The research was commissioned by the Carbon Trust as part of its campaign
to help businesses save at least GBP1million a day by saving energy. It
reveals that whilst individual employees are happy to shoulder some
responsibility, they also want their colleagues to do their bit, with over
two-thirds (67%) believing that their colleagues should do more to help save
money around the workplace.

The need for collective action is underlined by the fact that 82% of
employees say they regularly or occasionally see colleagues wasting energy -
and therefore money - around the workplace.

Yet, the research also reveals that employers are failing to galvanise
their employees’ enthusiasm - almost half of employees (48%) said they would
be more willing to help their employer save costs around the workplace if
they knew what they could do, whilst 42% would be motivated into action if
their employers simply asked for their help.

Commenting on the research, Hugh Jones, Solutions Director at the Carbon
Trust, said,

“In this current climate, employers are being forced to make some
difficult and at times, painful decisions in order to drive down costs.
However, as our survey reveals, employees want to do their bit and are
increasingly seeing saving money around the workplace as part of their
responsibility too. This could help most businesses save up to 20% on energy
bills through low cost or no cost action on energy efficiency.”

“Our research shows that overwhelmingly they’re willing to be more energy
efficient. Many companies think of energy as a fixed overhead but saving
energy is actually one of the easiest ways to reduce costs. Simply by
switching machines off after use, or turning the heating down in warm
weather, organisations can make real savings on their energy bill. This is a
win-win situation for UK employers.”

Energy and Climate Change Minister, Joan Ruddock said,

“These results are very encouraging. Climate change has to be tackled.
Saving energy cuts emissions and helps save money, this has to make sense for
businesses facing the recession. More advice on saving energy and reducing
waste is available through the Carbon Trust and the Government’s “Real Help
for Businesses Now” campaign.”

Other findings from the research include:

- Over half (55%) of employers said their employer had never given them
advice on being more energy efficient around the workplace.

- Those that had been given advice, 42% said it had made them more
energy efficient. 47% said it made them think abut how to be more
energy efficient in the workplace

- Employees in the East Midlands are most likely to want to help their
employers save money around the workplace, whilst employees in London
are least likely to (51%/42%).

- Men are more likely than women to recognise that they do help
employers save money around the workplace. (88%/84%)

Last month, the Carbon Trust launched its new ‘One Million A Day’
campaign, urging businesses of all sizes to join up and prioritise actions to
kick-start immediate energy savings, reduce carbon emissions and make
significant direct costs savings. The campaign’s target is to help save the
UK economy GBP1 billion over the next three years and reduce the UK’s carbon
emissions by at least 17m tonnes CO2 - the equivalent to annual emissions
from heating nearly 5.5 million average UK homes.

The Carbon Trust has identified three key areas which employers should
focus on:

Energy Management - Last year UK businesses working with the Carbon Trust
implemented energy saving measures including metering and monitoring, staff
awareness and setting board level policies to effectively identify
opportunities and monitor results, that will save over GBP64 million a year

Improved Lighting - Installing controls, replacing and upgrading lamps to
energy efficient versions and installing motion detectors are a few examples
of action that will enable over GBP11 million worth of savings in one year

Efficient Heating - Upgrading inefficient boilers, installing controls,
improving insulation and improving maintenance schedules will lead to savings
of over GBP8.5 million a year.

Notes to editors

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample
size was 4328 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 28th February - 5th
March 2009. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted
and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).

The Carbon Trust

- The Carbon Trust is an independent company set up in 2001 by Government
in response to the threat of climate change, to accelerate the move to
a low carbon economy by working with organisations to reduce carbon
emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies.

- We cut carbon emissions now by providing business and the public sector
with expert advice, finance and certification to help them reduce their
carbon footprint and to stimulate demand for low carbon products and
services. Through our work, we’ve already helped save over 17 million
tonnes of CO2, delivering costs savings of over GBP1billion.

- We cut future carbon emissions by developing new low carbon
technologies. We do this through project funding and management,
investment and collaboration and by identifying market barriers and
practical ways to overcome them. Our work on commercialising new
technologies will save over 20 million tonnes of carbon a year by 2050.

Source: The Carbon Trust

Spokespeople from the Carbon Trust and case studies are available. Please contact the Carbon Trust Press Office on +44(0)20-7544-3100 or carbontrust at fishburn-hedges.co.uk