Facilities managers target energy efficiency as top priority

A new poll of 250 facilities decision makers has found that energy efficiency is the most important credential when choosing a heat emitter.

The OnePoll survey, in association with Jaga, found that 97 per cent of respondents labelled efficiency as important, whilst a quarter of those surveyed said it was the most important factor, alongside low running costs.

With the facilities managers questioned working across sectors such as retirement living, education, leisure and commercial space, the poll asked about their energy expenditure, technology usage and awareness of legislation and funding, as well as the barriers they face when trying to improve the EPC rating of the premises they manage.

It found that 32 per cent reported that space heating was the largest component of their energy bill, with an average monthly cost of just under £1,500, with 27 per cent unsure what the rating of their building is. This is a concerning statistic considering recent legislation surrounding Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for privately rented buildings.

Current energy efficiency measures they have in place include low energy lightbulbs (58 per cent) roof (51 per cent) or cavity wall (43 per cent) insulation, draught proofing (38 per cent) and heating zone controls (36 per cent). A fifth of people also have low water content radiators.

Just under half of those surveyed cited investment costs are the main barrier to achieving further energy efficiency on site. This was followed by lack of perceived ability to implement the changes (29 per cent) and low capital availability (24 per cent).

Andy Williams, technical consultant at Jaga comments: “These findings shine a light on the issues facing facilities managers today. Armed with this knowledge, consultants can specify the right products to meet their needs and solve some of their pain points, resulting in happy customers. For example, the use of a Low Surface Temperature radiator with Low-H2O technology ticks all three boxes; cost, efficiency and safety. Low-H2O radiators are up to 15 per cent more economical compared to standard steel-panel radiators because they use less water and react much faster when warmth is needed.”