The Government’s new Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme is set for a rocky start according to new research.

A recent survey of senior managers responsible for power management at many of the UK’s biggest energy users highlights a staggering degree of ignorance, apathy and confusion about the scheme.  The survey was originally undertaken for Solar Gard, a solar control window film specialist, to understand the attitudes of the UK’s largest energy users towards reducing their carbon footprint.

Over half (53%) of the UK’s biggest energy users likely to be affected by the scheme do not even realise that they will be affected and that they are required by law to register.   If they do not register by the deadline of September 30 they face an immediate fine of £5,000 and an additional daily fine of £500.  A single organisation that misses the deadline by a month will face a £20,000 fine.  If 53% of the 5,000 organisations affected by the scheme miss the deadline by a month, they will collectively accumulate a first month fine of more than £50,000,000. 

Other findings from the survey support the view that ignorance, apathy and confusion reigns among many large UK organisations when it comes to their energy use.

• A third (33%) of those surveyed who’s organisation almost certainly qualifies for the scheme did not know what their annual energy usage was, despite this being the basic metric for qualifying for the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.
• Nearly half (45%) of those who know that they qualify for the scheme do not know when they are supposed to register.
• Unsurprisingly, the survey highlighted that more than a quarter (28%) of the UK’s largest energy users who qualify for the scheme do not have a carbon footprint reduction strategy in place
• Meanwhile, almost every organisation (97%) admitted they could do more to reduce their carbon footprint.  Despite this honesty, almost half (48%) of those qualifying for the scheme either have no plans, or are waiting to be told what to do, to reduce their carbon footprint.