Businesses throughout the UK face financial losses if they don’t improve the energy efficiency of their heating systems. Bryan Gates explains how this can be done with minimal hassle but maximum benefit.

Businesses in the UK have one thing in common – they all want to cut their energy costs. These cuts are for good reason. For many businesses, a 20% cut in energy costs represents the same bottom line benefit as a 5% increase in sales. By the same token, an increase in energy bill costs will eat into a business’ profits.

As a result, installers are in demand because they can help save the profits of businesses by making their heating systems more efficient. Water treatment can play a significant role in improving efficiency and driving down energy costs.

A recent survey found 63% of businesses are actively looking to reduce their energy use. When you consider what they stand to lose it’s surprising that this figure isn’t higher. Take the leisure and hospitality industry as an example of how energy costs can impact on a business. According to the Carbon Statement, businesses within that sector will suffer a loss of profits if they don’t reduce their energy and water consumption by 35% over the next two years.

That’s a significant percentage, so they need to consider all the options available to them – from tackling the heat loss of a building to fitting high efficiency boilers, heating controls and having the water in the system treated.
Many businesses will start by having a new high-efficiency boiler fitted. This is a logical approach, but a new boiler will only be as good as the heating system it is being installed into.

The other measures we’ve touched on in this article need to be addressed in order for the full benefits of that boiler to be enjoyed. To put this into perspective, heating costs can increase by 30% or more if the boiler is poorly operated or maintained.

Water treatment plays an important part in ensuring a heating system remains energy efficient. Hard water is what prevents many heating systems from maintaining an efficient performance. Many areas within the UK suffer from hard water, which is predominately found in chalk and limestone areas which you get in the south east.

Limescale is created when calcium particles within hard water are heated. This can build up – along with the sludge that collects in radiators – to seriously hamper a heating system’s performance.

This is the case even if the boiler is brand new. Industry research has found that even a one millimetre layer of limescale will cause a 7% increase in energy input to the boiler to meet the same heat demand. More fuel is used and energy bills rise, which obviously is not the objective when having a new boiler fitted.

So even if a business is prepared to tackle its energy use unless they’re aware of what a new boiler needs to perform to its optimum they will not achieve energy savings.

When it comes to water treatment, a system must be cleansed first otherwise plenty of debris within a heating system will remain there, slowing down the system’s performance. Cleansing also tackles any mineral oil in a heating system. Mineral oil is used in the manufacturing process to protect steel components like radiators and can cause damage to the rubber parts within any heating controls you intend to fit.

Naturally, there might be some reluctance from installers to quote for this additional work. After all, what if the potential client decides to choose a cheaper option that doesn’t include measures like water treatment?

It is worth noting that many businesses are tied to carbon reductions under the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme, which is designed to encourage large public and private sector organisations to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. These larger organisations have been identified as being responsible for around 10% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. This means that the subject of energy management will already be on the radar of many businesses.

Many big businesses have already begun addressing their energy costs. For example, Whitbread has set themselves a target of 26% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020. This isn’t an environmental gesture of good will – it is good business. It has already freed up £1.8 million in energy savings. Of course, not all businesses will be operating in the same playing field, but the principle remains the same.

So in many ways installers are pushing an open door if they’re able to explain the benefits of water treatment. This is where magnetic water filters come in so handy. They allow installers to demonstrate just how dirty the water within their heating system is.

The product’s magnet traps metallic debris, which can be used to show the customer how dirty the water in the system is. Once fitted, the filter provides a handy access point for chemical dosing and powerflushing, which makes the job even easier for installers on their next visit.

So if you are talking to a business customer about improving their energy efficiency, make sure you explain the benefits of water treatment and the role it plays in a heating system. It will ensure any investment they’ve made in a new high efficiency boiler is protected and returned in the money they will go on to save in energy bills.