Tag Archives: Running Costs


How To Reduce Business Running Costs By Being Green In The Office

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Being green in the workplace can  appear a daunting experience.  However, with today’s modern  thinking, the demands on us to be cleaner, greener and eco friendly, may be worth heeding. UK’s businesses are responsible for 40% of the UK carbon emissions, against 27% being emitted  from domestic output. It is clear that accomplishing   a more environmentally friendly workplace  will create  a greater overall impact. One of the nicest things of  becoming greener is that small changes really make a difference. 

A significant incentive for businesses to ‘go green’  is the decrease  in costs. A major factor  given today’s economic climate. A big headache for businesses is its waste. waste. On average, nearly 75% of the thousands of tonnes of paper usedduring a  year goes straight into landfill sites,  together  with some 90% of the millions of tonnes of everyday  business refuse. This occurs even though much of what is disposed of  is easily  recyclable.

Energy use within offices  is not managed efficiently,   with many  businesses paying  vast  quantities of cash  year upon year for light and to keep warm. UK businesses have been known  to spend £6 billion per annum on their energy bills, only to waste £1 billion of it through insufficient insulation. Proper investment in the best office insulation would result in smaller  energy bills.

These bills may be further reduced should  low energy lighting  and appliances be used. Powering non essential electrical items such as PCs by leaving them on  standby is a waste of energy. Switching off PCs and monitors when not in use   will have a considerable  impact.  

Consider how much water is lost  by a dripping tap. Left unaddressed, this could result in some 5000 litres of water per annum   literally being poured  down the drains.   Well maintained, current  plumbing and pipe work together  with water saving mechanisms  such as short flush cistern choices  can work towards reducing  this waste.

We are already conditioned to be green when  home, but think about  being green from the office desk. It doesn’t  cost the Earth. 

http://www.londonofficefurniture.co.uk/

 

9 Important Tips For Getting The Most Power Savings From Solar Hot Water

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One of the best ways to conserve hot water is to use it efficiently and always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for maintaining your solar hot water system

If you require hot water for doing diffferent jobs, try to do them in the morning if viable because that way the water leftover in the tank can be reheated by the sun instead of letting the booster cut in and wasting energy.

Choose the type of booster your system has closely as their are various types, the most common being gas or electricity. The booster cuts in when the sun has gone down and the system has run out of solar heated water

Always make sure that the installer of your solar hot water system has set your booster thermostat to the lowest setting feasible as the lower the setting the less power is consumed, the ideal tempreture setting is 60 Degrees Celsius.

On hot water pipes that come from the solar hot water service make sure the installer has insulated at least the first two metres, this stops excessive heat loss.

Reduce your running costs by connecting your hot water system to the most economical tariff – check with your electricity supplier.

Water heating accounts for up to 40 percent of energy used in the home, so a wise choice about whichsolar hot water system you buy can make a substantial difference to your energy bill.

Hot water use in a home can varyby a great amountdepending on the daily numberof showers or baths, washing cloths, dishwashing and cooking. On average most families use between 90 and 120 litres so if you have a large family or long showers you’ll need to look at a larger capacity system, discuss this with your supplier and installer.

When you install a solar hot water system in a new house, or replace an old system, give some thought to the type of system that best meets your needs. After all the purchase of a solar hot water system requires quite a significant upfront intial cost as well as a commitment to buy energy for the expected 10 – 15 year life span of the system.

 

RENAULT UK WELCOMES GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

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Renault welcomes this morning’s Government pronouncement that electric cars will profit from grants worth 25% of the purchase cost, up to a maximum of £5,000, for an opening period of January 2011 until March 2012.

Today’s reportwas greeted with significant zeal by Renault UK’s new Managing Director, Thierry Sybord. “We’re in no doubtthat our range of 100% electric cars and Renault vans are bound to gratifyto a wide cross-section of private individual and business customers in their own right, with an exhilarating blend of innovation, style and technology. Now, with this financial enticement in place, their affordability and lesser running costs craft the financial argument for electric vehicles, compared to conventional fossil-fuelled vehicles, as compelling as their environmental one. As a result ofthis morning’s news, we are even more excited about encouraging as many people as possible to consider using electric vehicles to cut down vehicle emissions, or as we say here at Renault, ‘Drive the Change’.

Following the unveiling of no less than four striking notions at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2009, Renault’s charge into the zero-emission* electric vehicle arena commences in Europe in mid-2011. The French brand’s assault commenceswith an preliminaryfour-model Z.E. (Zero Emission) series, intendedto be an inexpensive, mass-market plan. The first of its novel, fully~-electric vehicles will be a Kangoo Van. In 2012, it will be joined in the UK by the Fluence four-door saloon, a urban vehicle based on the two-seater Twizy concept and a five-door supermini.

Pre-booking for the Fluence and Kangoo Van Z.E. models is by now open. For extra particularson both, together with full details on Renault’s ‘Zero Emission Vehicles and van leasing plans please visit Swiss Leasing

 

The Essentials Of An Electric Bicycle

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Every day more and more electric bicycles are appearing on our roads. Which is understandable when you consider the benefits against other types of vehicles. So, just what is an electric bicycle? It is a regular bike with one main difference – it is fitted with a powerful electric bike motor which gets its power from a rechargeable battery.

The majority of electric bicycles come in two varieties – throttle activated or pedal activated.

With the pedal activated bicycle the electric bike motor kicks in when you start to pedal. So, not only are these types good for longer distances, but because of the pedaling action, you still get the beneficial exercise too – but without the strain and sweat.

You also get the same benefits from a throttle activated electric bike too. But with this type, you activate the motor with a grip on your handlebars, similar to a motorbike.

The other major component of an electric bicycle is the battery. The type of battery to use depends on the kind of terrain you will be traveling and the riders weight.

So, the main advantages of an electric bike are :

  • Riding one will not make you hot and sweaty
  • There are no toxic fumes
  • The motor is silent
  • Running costs are very cheap

It only takes about 3 hours to recharge the battery , and at around 5 cents per charge. You do the recharging from any regular household wall electrical outlet.

A wide range of electric bicycles are available in different styles, sizes and speeds, so you can be sure to find one that is just right for you.

An electric bicycle is ideal for commuting short distances every day . Just think, no more traffic jams, no more high fuel costs and insurance, and no more hunting around for a parking space when you arrive at your destination. And an electric bicycle is ideal when you need to pop to the store for one or two items.

Maybe you are thinking how fast can these bikes go? Well, they can reach a top speed of around 30mph, which is a lot faster than you can go in a car on a traffic congested road. And unlike a car, the cost of maintenance is practically zero .

You do not have to buy an electric bicycle to experience the sheer joy and fun of riding one. If you already have a bike, you can simply upgrade it by fitting one of the easily obtained electric bike conversion kits. These come in various flavors for all types of regular bikes.

Once you have experienced riding an electric bicycle, you will never go back to riding a regular bike – the experience will spoil you for life.