QUALITY MEAT Scotland and the Carbon Trust Scotland has produced a new guide to help Scottish butchers manage their gas and electricity costs.
The Scottish Butchers Guide to Saving Energy aims to provide butchers with practical and useful guidance around reducing energy costs, and claims that the average butchers could save up to £720 a year.
The Guide was produced after a number of site surveys were undertaken by the Carbon Trust to determine the scope for energy efficiency improvements across a broad section of butchers in Scotland.
The survey results categorised energy-saving opportunities into three groups; no-cost actions which could be made immediately, low-cost measures which require small investments below £500 and investment measures which require financial investment of over £500.
Individual saving opportunities from implementing no-cost measures, for example, minimising door openings, resetting air conditioning controls or rationalising frozen storage space ranged from £23 to over £500 per annum.
“Improved energy efficiency is one of the most effective means of reducing carbon emissions and driving down costs,” said Andy McGowan, Head of Industry Development, QMS.
“The survey results show that in many butcher¹s shops, simple no-cost actions can be taken immediately to reduce bills by 6%. Typically, a further 4% savings can be made by low-cost measures.
“For a typical butcher with annual energy costs of £12,000, this is a saving of £1,200 per year. Every pound saved is an extra pound on the bottom line and a positive step for a more sustainable industry.”
Paul Wedgwood, General Manger for Carbon Trust Scotland said: “The Carbon Trust was delighted to be involved in this project.”
“Rising energy prices are a real concern for small businesses. Our on-site surveys have shown, though, that there are various simple measures which can quickly be taken in butcher¹s shops which will save the business money and improve competitiveness while also reducing the harmful carbon emissions which result from using gas and electricity. We strongly encourage all butchers in Scotland to take advantage of the new free guide available through QMS.”
