Guide to being a more energy efficient business

The booklet, published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), looks in particular at energy wasted by firms through heating and hot water systems.

According to the DCLG, buildings are the source of almost half of all energy usage and carbon emissions in Britain, with heating and hot water accounting for half of all energy costs.

A spokesperson for the DCLG said: "Most businesses have rising energy costs. If you use energy efficiently in your business, you can save money, save energy, stay competitive and reduce carbon emissions from your building."

The guide suggests that businesses consider installing more energy efficient heating and hot water system, or at least get their current heating and hot water systems serviced and maintained regularly, to ensure they are working as efficiently as possible.

Hard-working or older systems may need to be assessed by a "competent" heating engineer, according to the DCLG. Such an assessment would inform businesses on how well their system was operating compared to newer, more efficient equipment.

The guide also outlines certain financial incentives, such as tax relief for firms investing in energy-saving plant or machinery, as well as "energy-efficiency loans" of between £5,000 and £100,000 for qualifying small and medium sized businesses.

A copy of the guide can be download free of charge from the DCLG website - see link above/right.

Greenest place?

Meanwhile, a new study has shown that the UK ranks poorly in a "green league" of countries, despite its attempts to be a world leader on climate change.

The table of 141 countries placed Britain 93rd in the world for energy efficiency, including conservation efforts and renewable energy use, and 77th for its greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, Britain was ranked 25th in the list of greenest and best places to live.

The country which came top in the poll was Finland, followed by Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Austria. Ethiopia came bottom. Britain scored quite highly for water quality, coming in 15th, but did not do so well for air quality, for which it received a ranking of 41st.

London was given a rating of 27th out of a table of world cities for being environmentally friendly. It was beaten by Glasgow (13th) and Newcastle (19th) for their environmental laws, parks and waste management. Manchester was put in 30th place.

The greenest city was judged to be Stockholm, followed by Oslo. Germany had four cities in the top 10 - Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Dusseldorf, while France had three - Paris, Lyon and Nantes.

The analysis was carried out by US environmental economist Matthew Kahn for Reader's Digest using the UN 2006 Human Development Index and the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index.