If your energy bills are too high, take charge of rising costs with an independent energy audit. Whether it’s increased profit or showing your commitment to the planet, businesses stand to benefit from making energy-saving choices. A combination of economic uncertainty, fluctuating gas and electricity prices, legislation, and the increased emphasis on sustainable business practices means energy efficiency has never been more important for UK firms. This session introduces the concept of Independent Energy Audits as well as presents case studies on funded energy efficiency and renewable projects.

1. By Ian Burrow
Head of Agriculture and Energy at NatWest
Energy bills too high?
This is your lightbulb moment.

2. Take charge of your energy
costs with an Independent
Energy Saving Audit
An Independent Energy Saving Audit could
help your business by identifying possible
energy-saving opportunities.
How could the audit help your business?
• Could help bring your business in line with the latest
energy legislation
• Could help you find potential new income from
generating renewable energy onsite
• Could help reduce your reliance on energy markets,
potentially protecting against fluctuating costs
• Show your commitment to corporate social
responsibility to your stakeholders and staff

3. Your Independent Energy Saving Audit journey
We can help in five easy steps:
Your Relationship Manager identifies that you may benefit from an
Independent Energy Saving Audit.
We’ll discuss and provide relevant information.
If you decide to progress, you select an independent energy
management supplier to conduct an audit.
We can provide you with a list of suppliers (we don’t receive a fee for this)
or you can select an alternative.
Your chosen supplier conducts an independent audit.
They’ll then produce a report and explain the results and any energy-saving
opportunities they’ve identified. You may then choose to share this with your
Relationship Manager.
You may then choose to set up a meeting with your Relationship Manager.
If you’d like to make changes, we can offer products (subject to assessment of
the lending request) to finance the initiatives.
Your energy management supplier installs the energy-saving
opportunities you’ve agreed to.
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4. What did you get from the audit?
The independent energy management
suppliers can conduct an audit and present
possible energy-saving opportunities.
• Your supplier can make recommendation on
energy procurement, efficiency and renewables
• They can implement and project manage
recommendations
• They’re independent and technology agnostic
• Following your audit, you’ll get a detailed report
which may include energy-saving opportunities
• An energy audit can identify short and long term
savings by examining how your energy is used,
controlled and monitored
For example:
Efficiency
Covering lighting, heating, cooling,
refrigeration, building fabric and equipment
Tariff management
Covering tariff type, rates and
fuel switching
Renewable energy
Opportunities including solar,
biomass, and ground and
air-source heat pumps

5. Our own energy saving
success story
We saved:
£355,000a year on our bills for our flagship offices
Some techniques we used:
• Establishing remote connectivity to allow adjustment
of time and set points
• Realigning heat, cooling and light schedules with
building occupancy
• Using ‘free’ air cooling immediately prior to
occupancy each morning to reduce AC use
• Taking control of Air Handling Units
• Rewiring the Last Person Out Switch
• Fitting motion sensors to back of house lighting

6. What else can we tell you?
How much will an audit cost?
The cost of the audit will depend entirely on what work is
involved. It’ll take into account a number of factors.
For example: how large your premises are and across how
many locations, whether you need to be ESOS-compliant
and the complexity of the building and machinery.
We’re unable to influence or negotiate any fees nor receive any fees for sign-posting
you to our listed energy management suppliers. You’re free to choose your own
energy management supplier including those not listed.
What kind of savings can I make?
This will depend upon the recommendations you choose to
implement as a result of the audit.
Some recommendations will be no and low cost, others will need
investment – this is something we can talk to you about once the
audit is finished should you choose to share your report with us.
How long will it take?
This will depend on the scope of the audit, building and
complexity of your business.
Your chosen supplier will be able to give you an indication of time.

7. What else can we tell you?
How does this fit with ESOS?
The energy audit may complement any ESOS work you
may have already done or are looking to do.
It’ll also look at the potential for onsite renewable energy
technologies – something ESOS currently doesn’t do.
Each of the energy auditors are ESOS-lead assessors.
Will you be able to finance any
recommended changes?
We’re able to provide a range of funding.
We’ll assess all lending requests on an individual basis with
no obligations. You’re also able to seek financing elsewhere
should you wish to.

8. Questions