Reduce your costs....read how your competitors have reduced their costs in business.
In this article, read about 3 schemes that could reduce your costs and also your carbon footprint.
Firstly, have you signed up for a free energy audit. To date, 1,500 businesses have had their premises assessed by the SEI and all have made savings on their energy costs.
Businesses participating in SEI’s SME programme have reduced their energy costs by an average of 10-20% by taking simple steps to tackle energy waste such as introducing more efficient lighting or changing temperature controls. SEI estimates that if all of Ireland’s 200,000 small businesses took similar steps, the resulting savings would be in the region of €300 million. SEI is now calling on all Irish SMEs to avail of its free energy assessments to make immediate cost savings.
“Every business is crying out for cost reductions and the good news is that they are there for the taking. Most businesses that come to SEI save at least 10% of their energy costs almost immediately,” Brian Motherway, Head of Strategy in SEI said. “This isn’t pie in the sky stuff, we are talking about simple steps that will cut energy bills, save money and protect jobs. Many businesses are already acting and a lot of money has already been saved.”
From the 1,500 energy assessments carried out by SEI, lighting emerged as the most significant energy cost for many businesses, representing up to half the total bill for offices and shops. In restaurants and pubs, the assessments revealed that refrigeration can often be the biggest cost. Heating and air conditioning are also common costs across sectors.
SEI’s small business support programme includes free energy assessments and sector specific training programmes. For more information visit www.sei.ie
The second thing you can do is check out the SEI Commercial Grants scheme, could you avail of the Exemplar Energy Efficiency Project - click on link below for further details :
http://www.sei.ie/your_business/public_sector/grants
Lastly, have you claimed all your capital allowances from the Revenue Commissioners for energy efficient equipment that you have installed in your business.
The tax incentive (introduced in Finance Act 2008) which provides for accelerated capital allowances of 100% of expenditure incurred by companies in the year the equipment is purchased, is being extended from three categories to seven categories. The new categories to be included in this scheme are: • Data server related systems and large energy saving office equipment associated with information and Communications Technology • Efficient heating/electricity provision equipment and control systems • Efficient electrical and control equipment associated with Process and Heating Ventilation and AirConditioning systems • ... Seveso-Listed Industrial Facilities