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11Apr/160

Energy matters: How to gain a commercial advantage with behaviour change

Business could save £1bn through energy behaviour change

British companies could save as much as £1bn on their energy bills by changing their ‘energy behaviours’ rather than rely on technical solutions, according to Npower energy experts as reported in the Telegraph this week. Each company could save between 3-15pc, or an average saving of 9pc, the supplier added.

Npower Business Solutions, a division of the Big Six supplier, said that it has already helped customers to drive bills down by £26m after acquiring an energy management firm which specialises in company habits.

Npower snapped up the RUMM energy consultancy in April last year as part of the company's plan to grow within the increasingly competitive business supply market.

A spokeswoman for the supplier said Npower is targeting total savings of £1bn for its energy customers by focusing on RUMM’s behavioural approach to energy saving for with their sophisticated energy management software and business energy reduction UK
gasEach company could save between 3-15pc, or an average saving of 9pc, the supplier added.

Npower’s Phil Griffiths said: “It often surprises businesses to find out that non-technical savings are usually greater than technical savings. Through learning about your energy habits, it is easy to make subtle, low-cost and effective changes to help keep down your energy bills. It’s already produced clear and proven benefits for firms, big and small, saving businesses we have worked with over £26m.”

The supplier refers to its behaviour analysts as “carbon psychologists” and says that the experts can design energy saving programmes by addressing employee energy habits to help them adopt more energy efficient ways of working.

A study from trade group Energy UK found that the business supply market has seen a consistent increase in competitiveness in recent years. Currently there are 24 suppliers active in the business market of which over a fifth joined the market last year.

Click here to find out more on Energy Reduction in Manufacturing and how to conduct behaviour change and decide which behaviour project you should choose to action.

10Mar/160

Energy management solutions from RUMM

npower Business Solutions

npower

Things are constantly changing in the energy sector with many new surprises such as the new Demand Turn Up scheme from National Grid. The idea is that during periods of high renewable generation when the Grid finds it has more energy than it can use, energy-intensive consumers would be encouraged to use more. By either turning off onsite generation from, for example, combined heat and power (CHP) plant or by running an energy-intensive process, such as smelting at a foundry or pumping water at a sewage treatment plant.

A pilot scheme which will run over the summer when wind and solar generation can be high and electricity demand is typically low. Participating businesses will be notified in advance of the extra available energy then, if they respond, they can boost productivity for minimal extra cost plus receive a payment for doing so.

Currently, on very windy days, when output from renewable generation is high the National Grid will turn large power stations down. Or wind turbines themselves may need to be turned off, simply because the power they generate cannot be used.

Filling the energy storage gap

As energy storage technologies become viable utilising it’s likely that storing this extra renewable energy until needed becomes a more cost-effective option. I recently blogged about a 640kWh battery storage system being trailed by Western Power Distribution at a solar farm in Somerset.

Although battery storage systems are predicted to become more efficient and the current high costs to fall, they are not yet able to provide a wide-scale commercial solution to balancing supply and demand. So it will be interesting to see how National Grid’s Demand Turn Up scheme fares.

If you are in any Industry sectors such as Energy Reduction in Manufacturing and looking for ways to reduce energy consumption, click here to find out more and get the information required.

13Feb/160

Play your part in reducing energy consumption

There are numerous actions a business can take to reduce energy costs and Carbon Reduction WalesEnergy management Services plays a key role but it’s also important not to overlook the other end of the process – the steps you take before that precious energy even reaches you; that is, the deal you sign up to and the way you manage energy purchasing.

To do this thoroughly and professionally requires a fully integrated energy strategy that includes the energy purchasing cycle particularly Energy Reduction in Manufacturing.

         

There are numerous variables, enormous volatility in prices and an endless array of contract options. But while this may be daunting, getting it right can deliver major savings and significant competitive advantages.

The three aspects of buying gas and electricity that make them different from most other products or services you purchase are the timing of the purchase, your company’s appetite for risk and the skills and knowledge needed to get it right.

Timing
Timing is crucial because market prices fluctuate quickly and massively. Some changes are foreseeable, such as seasonal demand, while others, such as unrest in the Middle East, can sometimes be totally unforeseen and could send energy prices soaring in hours.

Consequently, you must clearly understand markets and the forces driving them and constantly monitor them to both take advantage of opportunities as they arise and avoid being caught flat-footed.

Risk
Different businesses have different appetites for risk and this has a profound influence on energy purchasing. Most contracts are either “fixed term” or “flexible”, the latter giving a degree of control over prices and potentially make savings – but at greater risk.

To find a contract with the right level of risk for your business you need to know the options available.

Skills and knowledge
Finally, if you are responsible for energy procurement you must be familiar with the myriad of different opportunities provided by energy suppliers and negotiate with them to get the best deals.

In all these things, familiarity, experience and industry knowledge are crucial. Energy purchasing has become an increasingly specialist full-time role and an industry of experts has grown up to operate between energy suppliers and business users. Companies like UES Energy constantly monitor market fluctuations and the full spectrum of suppliers’ contracts to help clients find the best options.

19Jan/160

RUMM – Your Best Energy Management Option

New to energy savings? Is your company using too much energy? RUMM can help you by utilising their Energy Management Services.

Using the latest technology and experience RUMM have successfully implemented their system at many companies throughout the country achieving amazing results that speak for themselves.

How can RUMM help you business?

Let’s start with this - If you are a commercial or industrial consumer with an annual energy spend of more than £250k then we can help you understand the costs, legislation and opportunities for cost and energy reductions open to you.  Moreover we are here to help you deliver real energy and cost reductions and, for a lot of organisations, represent the best energy management option as we bring expertise and people to your site to help.

RUMM offer a FREE initial assessment which will answer many questions.

What does the Free Energy Assessment involve?

Providing us with your annual energy cost and consumption data will give us enough information to estimate:

  1. How much energy you should be able to save yourself
  2. The range of savings you would achieve working with RUMM

If the information that we provide for you is sufficiently interesting then we can visit your organisation to discuss how the RUMM services would best suit your needs.  If you (and RUMM) are convinced that energy saving opportunity exists then the next stage of engagement is the CAP:

CAP – a Comprehensive site Audit and Plan that will provide the following:

  1. A specification and cost of the most appropriate site metering infrastructure that may incorporate existing meters and collection technology; and is capable of providing sufficient information to generate savings, legal compliance and utility bill validation
  2. A prioritised list of potential energy saving projects with typical ROI (Cap Ex costs and associated savings)
  3. Data analysis of your existing ½ hourly utility supply data using RUMM software demonstrating how monitoring analysis can highlight saving opportunity at your site
  4. An indication of what you could save if you undertook to do the energy management yourself
  5. A business case outlining your savings over 5 years in partnership with RUMM including a 2 year cash flow analysis and capital spend requirement
  6. A financial model to fund a 5 year programme if  the business requires external funding

By utiling RUMM’S Automatic Monitoring & Targeting (aM&T) solution which is specific to your site(s) and be installed by our own engineers. We will install new meters and utilise existing metering as appropriate and maintain your aM&T infrastructure to ensure that savings can be measured and monitored.

7Dec/150

Your Best Energy Management Option from RUMM

RUMM renowned for their innovative energy management services using Automatic Monitoring & Targeting to reduce business energy consumption.

Read a case study by RUMM on one of their clients -  RPC Containers who had a 14% reduction in Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) in the first year.

The Client

The RPC Group is Europe’s leading manufacturer of rigid plastic packaging. With just under 50 autonomous sites in 12 countries, the company employs in excess of 6,500 people.

The Brief

RUMM was asked to investigate energy usage at RPC’s Llantrisant plant and provide solutions and suggestions for reducing the annual energy bill.

The Method

The installation at RPC was carried out in two stages.

Following the completion of the aM&T system, where 17 meters were installed across the site, a benchmarking exercise then took place in order to identify where energy was being used and equally where there was opportunity for savings.
RUMM and RPC then engaged in an energy management partnership to achieve savings. This included regular weekly meetings to discuss options that could save the company money.

The main areas targeted were chippers, high and low pressure compressors, dryers, leak detection, lighting and chillers. Site analysis was carried out based upon production output, and thus specific energy consumption (SEC) was analysed and this was benchmarked to fully understand energy consumption characteristics

The Results

As a result of the measures put in place; energy consumption in the first 5 months was reduced with specific energy consumption reducing by 14%. This equated to a £120k saving in the first year alone.

Why it Worked

The key for the success was the commitment from RPC to control costs and the close working Partnership with RUMM. The general manager was committed to the project and encouraged the whole company to make it a success.

“RUMM pushed us, the staff responded and with a target of a 17% reduction in 2 years, we achieved more than 10% in one year alone. The actions ranged from monitoring and targeting specific areas, to simply installing time switches on lighting – but the savings were there.On behalf of RPC Llantrisant, I have no hesitation in recommending RUMM to reduce your energy consumption.”

Manufacturing Manager, RPC Containers

14Nov/150

Why is RUMM’s energy management software so good?

Set the blue print for your company with RUMM leaders in Energy Management Software and services. Is your company doing their part in saving energy by reducing energy consumption and being aware of the impact of energy saving on the environment? Ensure energy reduction in manufacturing is a priority within your company.

You might be wondering what sets RUM apart from their competitors and why you would consider RUMM, I will tell you why its RUMM’s superior energy management software called IBASS 4?

RUMM IBASS 4 enables the user to interrogate the database that hold the ½ hourly consumption profiles for visualisation, analysis, alarming and reporting on all the data stored. It is RUMM’s proprietary energy management software suite and forms the framework upon which RUMM delivers its energy management services.

IBASS is configured as part of the sub-metering installation process to accommodate the sub-metering system profile to complete the aM&T system.

IBASS is a software suite that enables the visualisation of consumption profiles, constructs user defined reports and targets energy consumption using advanced analysis and alarming. It has been developed by Energy Managers for the end-user energy management perspective so that it is intuitive.

It is the primary tool used by RUMM’s energy account managers to offer energy management services for customers. Our customer’s utilise the power and flexibility of it too. It’s a product that has attracted interest from the “big 6” utility suppliers.

RUMM IBASS 5 – Launched into the market in July 2014, IBASS 5 is the smart phone and tablet enabled version of the IBASS product it has many additional features including a new look and feel, with dashboards and KPI reporting which continues to keep our offering ahead of the marketplace.

An example of the new version IBASS 5 screens is given below:

IBASS 5 KPI normalised Energy Management Software (IBASS)

RUMM IBASS 5 will have cutting edge dashboards and KPI reports with data available for mobile devices. It is being built using the latest .NET technologies. The .NET Framework 4.5 and ASP.NET MVC 5. This helps provide a sophisticated, scalable application that is based upon known standards and offers compatibility across a range of devices from desktop web clients to roaming IPADs.

It is a pure SaaS model and provides multi-threaded simultaneous concurrent web browsing from anywhere in world.

IBASS 5 mobile Energy Management Software (IBASS)

Mobile Enabled IBASS 5 Screenshots

Screenshot Example – Menu Options in Tablet Format

IBASS 5 menu Energy Management Software (IBASS)

Screenshot Example – Dashboard/KPI Reports to Mobile Devices

IBASS 5 KPI mobile Energy Management Software (IBASS)

10Oct/150

What does energy savings involve?

RUMM are a leading energy management UK based in Wales who provide Energy Management Solution to customers via their own developed technologies (Pulse & IBASS) and Energy Management Services (EMS).

I can hear you asking what all this means for my company. The simply answer is to reduce energy consumption therefore saving money and contributing to a larger towards saving the planet. Let’s have a look at some of the ways RUMM uses their Energy Management Solution to assist your business especially Energy Reduction in Manufacturing

Applies RUMM‘s algorithm to calculate the amount of energy which could be saved through changes in scheduling and behavioural methods.

PresST Table Pre Screening Tool (PreST)

What is Pre Screening Tool (PreST)

  • PreST analyses the variables in a customer’s energy consumption over a full year
  • This is a unique approach to evaluate savings opportunity

How does it benefit the customer?

  • Sites of all shapes and sizes, can ‘save and reduce energy’ with minimum capital expenditure and without compromising production
  • Analysing a portfolio of sites identifies those who would benefit most from streamlining energy consumption
  • Effects of energy savings interventions can be easilty assessed through direct comparisons pre and post PreST
  • PreST compares a site to the best possible operation it’s already achieved, which is particularly useful to large portfolio customers with multiple sites across an organisation.

Does the customer need anything in place?

  • No prior RUMM/npower products are needed
  • PreST requires date of a full years’ worth of half hourly energy consumption for the site.

A typical customer might be

  • Any site that has been in full operation for a year, needing information on their typical energy variation
  • Companies interested in the potential of their site to save energy, or the potential to save energy across a group of sites.
20Sep/150

Your Best Energy Management Option

RUMM

Your Best Energy Management Option

Does your company take energy saving seriously?

Would you like to do something proactive in business energy reduction and play your part in saving our planet?

RUMM is a company that take their business and their clients very seriously and the results speak for themselves.

RUMM’s Business energy reduction UK main focus is to provide resources and expertise in design and deliver energy management services and solutions in partnership with its customers to achieve cost and carbon reduction. With the support of RUMM your company can achieve incredible results in energy consumption thus reducing a huge amount of cost.

This means that RUMM provide the resource and expertise to work with their customers for a contracted period to deliver measurable savings. “Energy Management Services” is 90% of what they do and includes using all available technologies (aM&T), Behaviour Change and bespoke training.

Have a read of the case study below as to the impact RUMM has had on Cardiff Metropolitan University.

A 7 year Partnership that has accrued more than £1m of savings and reduced the carbon footprint by 15%.

The Client

Cardiff Metropolitan University provides education and training opportunities that are accessible, flexible and of the highest quality. Cardiff Metropolitan has been acknowledged as the “greenest university” in Wales and one of the best across the UK. The University has been a customer of RUMM for over 7 years and the saving accrued are in excess of £1m.

The Brief

As part of the Partnership, RUMM were asked to work with Cardiff Metropolitan to focus upon increasing staff and student engagement by utilising the RUMM aM&T system to provide regular reporting. The goal was to provide reliable and accurate data to inform and motivate management throughout the university.

The Method

Working together, RUMM and Cardiff Metropolitan developed a 5-year plan to reduce utility consumption by 3% per annum. Monthly bespoke reports are prepared and presented to key managers within the University, detailing performance within their respective areas. RUMM’s energy account managers work closely with staff to identify and support Cardiff Metropolitan in realising savings.

Regular meetings are held in order to highlight opportunities for improvement and suggest practical ways in which these can be addressed.

The Results

All targets have so far been exceeded, and Cardiff Metropolitan is has to:

•             Realised financial savings in excess of £1 million

•             Achieved a reduction in its CO2 emissions by more than 15% which is equivalent to the amount of carbon annually absorbed by a forest of 650,000 trees

•             Reduced water consumption by more than 45,000 m3 which is equivalent to 18 Olympic-sized swimming pools

These excellent results have contributed to Cardiff Metropolitan attaining its position as the greenest university in Wales.

Click here for the link to the People and Planet League Table. The Carbon Trust wrote an editorial on the success of the Behaviour Change Program employed at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Why it Worked – behaviour change

The key to this project has been an increase in staff interest and engagement stemming from the provision of useful information. Provided with regular feedback, people have responded to achieve necessary reduction targets.

“Cardiff Metropolitan University has been delighted with how successful the aM&T methodology has proven in comparison with the more conventional approach involving technical projects”

-Paul Manley, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Be the change you want to see and click here Energy Reduction in Manufacturing

23Aug/150

RUMM-USA Your Best Energy Management Option

RUMM USA HOME

Take control of your business Energy Management with so many options available and so much information available, how can you get started Reducing Energy Consumption?

First Things First:  Understand Your Energy Consumption.  The first step to understanding your path to reduced energy consumption is understanding how much energy you use from each energy source and the biggest users of energy at your facility.  Consider heating, cooling, and ventilation as well as compressed air and industrial equipment.  Once you have identified your largest consumers of energy you will have a good idea of where your biggest opportunities to Reduce Energy Consumption are.

rumm usa new offices 300x191 RUMM USA   New Office Move RUMM-USA NEW OFFICESrumm usa new offices2 300x193 RUMM USA   New Office Move

Plan to review and reduce energy consumption.  Included in your plan should be an evaluation of the material condition of equipment and effectiveness of control systems.  Everything from a properly functioning and programmed thermostat in the office to properly maintained industrial equipment can impact your ability to reduce energy consumption.  Your plan should include regular review of your largest energy consumers.

Do:  Based on the information you have gathered, implement efficiency improvements and corrective action, starting with the best conservation measures first (low or no cost, biggest improvements).  Don’t forget the no cost conservation measures:  things like proper shut-down procedures for off-hours and re-programming thermostats can have a significant impact.  Low cost improvements include bringing preventive maintenance schedules up to date and minor repairs such as fixing compressed air leaks.

Check the Results:  Periodically check to confirm conservation measures are being followed and maintained.  A sub-metering system that helps you monitor energy consumption can measure to confirm improvements and identify when consumption patterns change unexpectedly.  Manufacturing facilities should track Specific Energy Consumption (energy consumed per unit of production) to verify conservation measures (Scatter Plots or Control Charts for Specific Energy Consumption can be very helpful).

Act:  Adjust the plan, adjust as necessary to achieve verified results.  Observed success becomes the new ‘Normal’, then start the continuous cycle again:  Plan – Do – Check – Act.

It is easy to get started, the next time you pay your energy bill, take a walk around your facility and consider where all that energy is being used.  Start asking the rest of your team where they think the energy is being used and start putting together a plan for energy conservation.  The more people on your team that are talking about and thinking about reducing energy consumption, the less energy you will use.

Let us help you reduce your energy consumption with our Energy Management Software.

20Aug/150

Business energy reducing costs and lower carbon emissions

Don’t leave your energy saving measures half finished

AD 1311 small 300x199 Don’t leave your energy saving measures half finished

By Andrew Diplock, Managing Director, UES Energy

There are numerous actions that can be taken in the quest for Business energy reduction reducing costs and lower carbon emissions. Energy management plays a key role but it’s also important not to overlook the other end of the process – the steps you take before that precious energy even reaches you; that is, the deal you sign up to and the way you manage energy purchasing.

To do this thoroughly and professionally requires a fully integrated energy strategy that includes the energy purchasing cycle.

Unfortunately, this is often overlooked – sometimes because such measures as incorporating energy management products are more tangible, but often because buying energy cost-effectively is complicated.

There are numerous variables, enormous volatility in prices and an endless array of contract options. But while this may be daunting, getting it right can deliver major savings and significant competitive advantages.

The three aspects of buying gas and electricity that make them different from most other products or services you purchase are the timing of the purchase, your company’s appetite for risk and the skills and knowledge needed to get it right.

Timing
Timing is crucial because market prices fluctuate quickly and massively. Some changes are foreseeable, such as seasonal demand, while others, such as unrest in the Middle East, can sometimes be totally unforeseen and could send energy prices soaring in hours.

Consequently, you must clearly understand markets and the forces driving them and constantly monitor them to both take advantage of opportunities as they arise and avoid being caught flat-footed.

Risk
Different businesses have different appetites for risk and this has a profound influence on energy purchasing. Most contracts are either “fixed term” or “flexible”, the latter giving a degree of control over prices and potentially make savings – but at greater risk.

To find a contract with the right level of risk for your business you need to know the options available for Business energy reduction UK.

Skills and knowledge
Finally, if you are responsible for energy procurement you must be familiar with the myriad of different opportunities provided by energy suppliers and negotiate with them to get the best deals.

In all these things, familiarity, experience and industry knowledge are crucial. Energy purchasing has become an increasingly specialist full-time role and an industry of experts has grown up to operate between energy suppliers and business users. Companies like UES Energy constantly monitor market fluctuations and the full spectrum of suppliers’ contracts to help clients find the best options.

Premium airline seating manufacturer Contour Aerospace (now part of Zodiac Aerospace Group), were one company who saw the value in working with energy professionals and following great results from RUMM on their energy management, turned to UES Energy for advice for their energy purchasing.

Finance Director Alison Baker said: “(UES Energy) approach to energy procurement focuses on avoiding unnecessary cost and their advice on the timing of contract placement is backed up with detailed market intelligence. Their quality of service is reassuring and a stark difference to our previous energy broker.”

For more information on how professional energy consultants can help you purchase and manage your energy efficiently and effectively, click here Energy Reduction in Manufacturing.