Commercial property owners. Shouldn't they be LEDing the way?

Although we’re all now familiar with LED lighting many commercial building owner operators are still not aware of the financial and environmental benefits of LED upgrades.

The Empire State Building NYC is currently upgrading its facade and mast lights with 1,200 LED fixtures that should save the building $4.4 million by making a 75% reduction in lighting costs! This is one high profile example of how the potential savings of LED are only just being realised in commercial settings around the world.

Here in the UK commercial building owners / operators, councils and other organisations are embarking of large LED retrofits to achieve the same type of energy savings. For example Salford City Council are reported to be expecting a £1.6m and 30% carbon reduction from over the lifetime of a 2000 LED bulb street lighting retrofit in 2011.

Tower Bridge in London was covered in eco friendly’ LED bulbs for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee that are expected to bring a 40% reduction in energy usage on the bridge and last 25 years! So why aren’t more people with incredibly high energy bills such as owner / operators of UK commercial buildings having LED upgrades?

Experts offer many different opinions – people focusing on the amount of life still left in their existing lighting instead of the huge savings offered by LED, they may have been waiting to hear the results of other big commercial LED upgrades, or they may simply not be aware of the benefits of LED and how that could realistically translate to their own buildings. Most experts however seem to agree that LED use is going to keep growing at huge rate.

Chris Gunn is a man with inside knowledge of the real benefits that LED lighting can bring. Chris works for Acorn Limited who provide maintenance engineering services to an impressive array of commercial buildings across London.

“My experience with our clients has convinced me that where LED technology is used appropriately in commercial buildings it can deliver significant energy and cost savings. We’ve been designing, installing, upgrading and retrofitting commercial lighting systems for many years now as well as providing the energy management systems that can accurately measure the resulting energy savings. That’s how we know first hand that LED upgrades really do deliver the goods” says Chris.

LED bulbs use much less power and can last 10 times longer than many other types of lamps / bulbs.

For more information about how LED lighting upgrades and replacements could work for your commercial building(s) contact Acorn Maintenance Engineering now on 0845 528 0774 or visit http://www.acornlimited.co.uk/

Brits still not switched on to energy saving, new study shows

According to a new study, while 94% of us say we want to become more energy efficient, only 37% of us currently rate ourselves as such.

Despite ever-increasing fuel costs, the British public just can’t seem to get motivated on energy saving, regardless of our good intentions. According to a new study, while 94% of us say we want to become more energy efficient, only 37% of us currently rate ourselves as such – and it’s the basics that are still eluding us.

With energy costs at an all-time high and four of the ‘big six’ energy firms putting up their prices again this week, it is surprising to learn that 40% of us still leave the heating on all day and a third of us leave windows and doors open when the central heating is on.

Two thirds of people say they leave the TV on when they’re not in the room and almost half leave it on standby overnight, while 63% leave their mobile charging all night. Almost half of those asked say they still leave the tap running unnecessarily when brushing their teeth or washing up.

Although rising energy prices are quoted as being one of the biggest concerns for UK homeowners, almost a fifth of us still don’t have energy saving light bulbs, 29% overfill the kettle when boiling it, and only 46% of us would use extra layers of clothing or blankets when it gets cold instead of turning up the heating.

The study, which was conducted by Anglian Home Improvements to mark Big Energy Saving Week (22-27 October 2012), found that 40% of us still don’t have energy efficient windows or doors, even though around 30% of a home’s heat is lost through windows and doors, and only 44% of us have an energy efficient boiler.

Yet 82% of people say if they could make one simple change to become energy efficient they would, and 88% say that if making that change would be guaranteed to save them money over the next five years, they would do it.

TV presenter and environmental science expert Philippa Forrester has championed environmental issues for many years. She says, “In light of the latest news about rising energy costs, heating our homes and using electricity is going to cost us more and more. How high do prices need to get before we think about making fundamental changes to the energy efficiency of our homes? We can all stop money leaking out of our roofs, windows and doors and by reducing our energy consumption, we’re also reducing our bills and our carbon emissions, so we should all try to make it a top priority. Saving energy and saving money – it’s a win-win situation.”

Melanie McDonald, Head of Marketing and Communications at Anglian Home Improvements, says, “The cost of running a household is radically increasing due to rising energy prices and food inflation. So as we head into the winter months and energy consumption increases, it’s more important than ever for people to look at ways they can improve their energy efficiency. There are lots of quick, easy things we can all do straight away and there are also many ways in which homeowners can improve the efficiency of their property for the longer term. Installing the best thermal windows on the market, for instance, will ensure they get the maximum return on investment and benefit for many years to come.”

Anglian Home Improvements is an Energy Saving Trust Recommended supplier and offers a broad selection of stylish and energy efficient products, including windows, doors conservatories, roof trim, solar panels and much more. For more information and to view the full product range, visit anglianhome.co.uk.

npower has 'Grand Designs' on saving energy

Consumers looking to take control of their energy costs will be able to get the latest energy efficiency advice from npower at this year's Grand Designs Live.

Visitors to Grand Designs will be able to meet with npower's energy experts, receive energy efficiency advice, discuss what renewable technologies are available to them and sign up to receive more information about the Government's new Green Deal initiative, as it progresses.

npower is inviting visitors to the stand to learn more about how to create a warmer home, including how the Green Deal might help them to achieve this. The aim of Green Deal is to revolutionise the energy efficiency of British properties and reduce carbon emissions. With the Green Deal, households will be able to receive finance in the form of a loan, to help pay for energy efficiency improvements, such as loft, cavity or solid wall insulation. It works on a 'pay as you save' principle allowing consumers to repay the loan in instalments via their energy bill. As well as avoiding potentially large up front costs, which can be a massive barrier, consumers can take comfort in the knowledge that repayments should not exceed the estimated savings on their energy bills – the so called 'Golden Rule'.

Visitor's who sign up to receive more information about the Green Deal and request an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for their home from npower, will automatically be entered into a free prize draw for up to £5,000 worth of energy efficiency improvements.

David Titterton, npower's Director of ECO and Green Deal Delivery said: "Saving energy for consumers is key to running a successful energy services business. There are significant changes to government legislation taking place which, in principle, should make access to key energy saving improvements easier for everyone. The Green Deal is a fundamental shift in the way that people can finance energy efficiency improvements for their home.

"While the final details are still being worked on, we want to encourage as many people as possible to find out more about the Green Deal and energy efficiency. So why not come down to Grand Designs and visit us at our stand."

Grand Designs Live is taking place until October 14th at the NEC and is the UK's leading home show. The event will have over 500 exhibitors, across six different sections, covering interiors, gardens, home improvement, renovations and technology. Visit npower on stand B550.