Budget 2016: Government criticised for lack of energy-efficiency measures

The UK Government has been accused of not doing enough to encourage manufacturers to invest in energy-efficiency technologies in its 2016 Budget.

The criticism comes from global power management company Eaton, which says it wanted Chancellor George Osborne to use the Budget in order to help British industry to reduce its energy consumption.

Eaton was especially disappointed that an opportunity had been missed to extend the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme, a programme that allows businesses to offset the cost of energy-efficient equipment.

This criticism follows the mixed reaction to the news that the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) is to be abolished within the next three years, with the Climate Change Levy (CCL) increased in order to replace the lost revenue.

Whether or not your business is subject to Government energy-efficiency legislation, here at Gibbons we believe that tight margins, uncertainty over electricity prices and increasingly competitive markets should be enough to drive changes.

Electric motor-driven applications account for around 60 per cent of the UK’s industrial energy consumption, so by optimising motor-driven processes such as fans, pumps, conveyors and mixers, users stand to significantly reduce their costs.

Not only can process managers upgrade their electric motors to the latest high-efficiency models, they can also further their savings by installing variable-speed drives. VSDs enable electric motor speed to be precisely controlled, meaning processes use only as much energy as it required at a particular time. 

This is invaluable for applications such as food and beverage production where speed demand varies at different points in the process.

To find out more about the benefits of electric motor speed control in manufacturing and a host of other sectors, call Gibbons on 01621 868138 or email info@gibbonsgroup.co.uk and one of our expert engineers will be happy to help.