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Struggling to find energy efficiency funding?

Great news! You’ve completed our efficient Workplace Energy Efficiency Checklist and are on your journey of reducing energy bills and cutting carbon emission. You’ve now reached that point where you are ready to get started on more substantial and long-term green investments.

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Energy Efficiency Quick Tips for GP Practices

Understanding your heating controls Heating controls are essential for achieving energy efficiency in buildings. By understanding how these controls work, you can avoid wasting energy in unoccupied spaces or having competing heating and cooling running at the same time. Manuals for heating controls can be found on a manufacturer’s website. Ensure staff know which of…

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Support for businesses and organisations in Oxford City – Build Back Better (Ended December 2022)

This support offer has come to end as of December 2022. As energy prices skyrocket for businesses, we’ve gained new funding to support organisations in Oxford City. If you have a building in Oxford City and want fully funded energy efficiency support, you should get in touch. Our experienced team can provide energy assessments and…

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Untangling energy efficiency terminology

When it comes to getting quotes for electrical devices designed to cut down on your energy consumption, some of the terminology can be a bit confusing. Here we break down the key metrics you need to know.

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Thinking about generating your own energy?

You may at some point be considering decarbonising your energy usage. The simplest way this can be done is of course by switching to an energy supplier who specialises in low carbon energy.

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Is working from home environmentally sustainable?

Hybrid working really took off during the COVID pandemic – and looks as if it is here to stay. But while it’s become the go-to approach of blending remote and in-person work, the burning question is: Is remote home working genuinely more sustainable?

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The benefits of energy efficiency improvements for SMEs

Making energy improvements to their buildings and premises brings benefits for businesses in three key areas: cost savings, carbon savings, and improved comfort. Cost savings For any business it is important to minimise running costs, and energy bills make a significant contribution to this. Much of the energy we use in our workplaces is wasted…

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How to transform a cold, draughty workplace into an energy efficient space [animation]

In the UK we have old and inefficient buildings, meaning many of us work in cold, draughty, damp workplaces – offices, warehouses, retail spaces and more. Not only does that impact the health and comfort of staff, customers, and visitors, it also means companies are paying more than they should be on energy bills and…

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How to reduce energy use in a manufacturing business

Every business or organisation could improve their energy efficiency, reducing energy use, running costs, and environmental impact. But different measures and actions make sense for different business types and premises. For manufacturing businesses, the main area of energy use is likely to come from equipment and appliances, which are often running constantly and need to…

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Our top 3 tips for reducing energy use in the workplace right now

1. Power down when not in use When our team visit businesses to assess their premises, we often see energy-using appliances – computers, photocopiers, water coolers, fans, vending machines – that are left turned on constantly, even when there’s no one in the room or the building. Making sure these items are switched off when…

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Why we need to improve the energy efficiency of our workplaces to combat climate change

Buildings are responsible for 29% of our annual carbon emissions in the United Kingdom (UK Committee on Climate Change), This figure is often shocking to people. When we think of the sectors responsible for high levels of carbon emissions, we likely think of transport, agriculture, manufacturing. Buildings are often overlooked. This situation is as true…

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More from our Sparks file

The importance of energy efficiency for businesses – and an introduction to Energy Solutions Oxfordshire

In the first webinar of our autumn 2020 series, we were joined by Steve Fawkes and Richard Dorey. Dr Steve Fawkes, Founder of EnergyPro and author of the Only Eleven Percent blog, gave an overview of why businesses should be thinking about energy efficiency. This included some of the key barriers commonly found by businesses…

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Understanding the energy usage of your organisation

A crucial step in the process of making energy efficiency improvements to a building is understanding your existing energy performance and use in order to identify improvements. Oxford Brookes’ Environmental Information Exchange team (one of our three project partners) are experts at undertaking energy assessments and audits, and in this webinar we were joined by…

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Energy efficiency at 13th Century retreat

The Abbey – Business type: retreat centre – Building age: 13th century– Primary goal: improve comfort for guests– Measures: loft insulation, draught-proofing, thermal window blinds, LED lighting. The Abbey in Sutton Courtenay is a retreat centre with live-in residents as well as a guesthouse, all housed in premises which date from the 13th Century when…

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Accountancy firm cuts bills and emissions

Chapman Robinson & Moore Business type: AccountancyBuilding age: 1990sPrimary goal: To reduce the environmental impact of the buildingMeasures: Replacing storage heaters with air source heat pumps, double glazing windows, draught-proofing, employee awareness. Chapman Robinson & Moore is an accountancy firm, located in a 1990s office building on a small business park in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. Their…

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