Region’s firms watching £1m a day go down the drain
THE region’s businesses are collectively missing out on combined cost savings of up to £1.1m a day by ignoring water efficiency.
According to a study by sustainable business experts Envirowise 60% of Yorkshire firms questionned said they were not currently measuring or monitoring water use while 80% admited not having any water reduction targets in place at all.
Elin Crebbin, Envirowise regional manager for Yorkshire, said that businesses could reduce their water bills by as much as a third if they took steps to monitor their water use effectively.
“With more than one billion cubic metres of water being used across the region every year, there is significant potential for businesses to save money and reduce their environmental impact by taking action on water efficiency,” said Ms Crebbin.
“That is why we are encouraging local organisations to join Rippleffect, a national initiative offering online advice and support to cut water waste and costs.”
She added that she was surprised at the number of firms that didn’t believe it was possible to reduce their water bills by improving water efficiency.
“This is clearly a missed opportunity and one that offers valuable cost saving potential as well as reputational benefits for companies taking action and demonstrating a commitment to the environment too.”
More than 500 UK businesses registered for Rippleffect in 2008. New features for 2009 include access to sector-specific modules for hotel and catering, meat and poultry processing and fruit and vegetable processing and access to water efficiency advice in areas such as rainwater harvesting, vehicle washing and boiler and cooling tower operation.
Yorkshire businesses interested in taking part in Rippleffect should visit www.envirowise.gov.uk/rippleffect.
