Energy crisis: The impact on commercial properties and what to expect in 2023
Wednesday, 18th January 2023
As 2023 gets into full swing, the full impact of the ongoing energy crisis is being felt by businesses and households alike. The cost of energy is affecting everything, from heating our homes and workplaces to rising inflation and economic growth.
That’s why we carried out a survey asking employees to share their perspectives on how the energy crisis is affecting their places of work.
The results of our study were clear. Despite the recent trend for hybrid working, the majority of employees are concerned about the financial impact of working from home during the energy crisis. But workers are concerned about energy use in their workplaces too. Most employees are worried about the energy efficiency of their workplace, and many feel that their company is not doing enough to reduce its environmental impact.
But there’s hope. The energy crisis and ongoing battle against climate change are driving exciting innovations in the industry. More and more, we’re seeing smarter, more efficient buildings that provide employees with healthier, more sustainable places to work.
In this article, we’ll explore the potential impact of the energy crisis on workplaces in 2023 and explore how managers can use cutting-edge technology to mitigate its effects.
What impact is the energy crisis having on workplaces?
In 2022, we surveyed 4,000 workers across the USA and UK on their perspectives on the efficiency of their workplaces and the ongoing energy crisis.
Here’s some of what employees told us of their main concerns:
The majority of employees are concerned about how the energy crisis will impact the cost of working from home. Nearly three-quarters of respondents in the US (74%) and seven in ten (70%) in the UK said they felt concerned about the impact of the energy crisis on the costs of working from home.
Most employees are concerned about the energy efficiency of their workplace. Seven out of ten respondents in the US and just over half in the UK (55%) said they were concerned about energy efficiency in the workplace.
Employees don’t think their company is doing enough to reduce its environmental impact. Nearly half of respondents in the US (48%) and UK (41%) said their company isn’t doing enough to reduce its environmental impact (if their company was doing anything at all).
Many employees think that the responsibility to cut greenhouse gas emissions lies with building managers. About a quarter of respondents (28% in the US, and 25% in the UK) felt the main responsibility for cutting greenhouse emissions lay with those who manage or run the building. Meanwhile, approximately one in five think that building owners and landlords (21% in the US, 20% in the UK) should be held primarily responsible.
What can building managers expect to see in response to the crisis?
These concerns are having material impacts on the way we work, with real consequences for the future. Our study revealed that, because of the effects of the ongoing energy crisis, employees now:
Choose to spend more time at work. Our survey found that 37% of US employees have increased the use of facilities away from home and 34% say they spend longer at work due to recent high temperatures and lack of air conditioning at home. In the UK, 23% plan to work more at their workplace this winter to help cut down on energy use and bills.
Are prepared to take action to reduce energy use in the workplace. About a third of respondents in both the US (32%) and the UK (27%) would be willing to take action in their day-to-day life. This includes urging colleagues to take action to reduce energy use and turning off lights and monitor screens when not at their desks.
Want to take action to improve sustainability in the workplace. The vast majority of those surveyed said they’d be willing to take action to improve workplace sustainability—only 8% in the US, and 16% in the UK said they would not take action.
Believe their company should invest in more digital tools and technology to help make their workplaces more energy efficient. One-quarter (25%) of UK respondents and just over a third (36%) of US respondents agreed with this statement.
As the energy crisis deepens, we can expect these trends to continue well into the future. Whilst employees might be actively choosing to spend more time at work, the workforce of tomorrow is concerned about the energy efficiency and sustainability of their workplaces—and they’re looking to those in charge for smart, constructive solutions to the problem.
There’s never been a better time to take action. With the rise of ESG regulations globally, new building regulations, and a public that’s more aware of environmental issues than ever before, taking action to reduce your energy consumption is a must-have for future business success.
Three businesses that are using smart technology to get through the energy crisis
While we’re in a challenging time, it’s not all bad news. We’ve pulled together three examples of businesses that have successfully used smart technology to mitigate the effects of the ongoing energy crisis.
Read on to discover how they’re saving energy.
A global bank is using automated legionella compliance to make energy savings
Legionella compliance is crucial for the health and safety of building users. But traditional methods, which include heating many litres of water and flushing taps, are incredibly energy intensive.
One of Infogrid’s clients—a well-known global bank—was emitting nine tonnes of CO2 for each of their large buildings every year on legionella compliance alone. And, with manual inspections and site visits clocking up 11 needless car journeys each year per building, indirect energy costs were mounting up too.
So the bank turned to us for a smarter solution to legionella reporting. After installation of robust, best-in-class IoT sensors, the client was able to automatically track water temperature and movement, and respond to any irregularities immediately with real-time alerts.
The savings were substantial:
24.5 tonnes CO2e and 23,794 KwH saved (heating water) per annum. That’s the equivalent of 245 round trip flights from NYC to DC).
702 tonnes CO2e saved per annum by removing unnecessary car journeys. That’s the equivalent of 7,020 round trip flights from NYC to DC.
Over $120,000 in water and electricity savings per annum.
Real-time energy monitoring is helping a laundry company reach net zero
Lowering energy consumption isn’t just about lowering costs, it’s about joining the fight against climate change—crucial for success in today’s business market.
Oxwash, a British company intent on being the world's first laundry system with no net impact on the environment, wanted to know the exact carbon footprint of each and every one of their washes.
In the past, they’d been extrapolating this information from the only information they had, which was data on their overall energy use. As great as their efforts were, Oxwash wanted a more detailed, accurate and reliable picture of how much energy their business was using to share with their customers.
Infogrid’s automated energy monitoring system provided the answers. After easy installation, Oxwash were able to see exactly how much energy they were using—per hour, per day, and per machine cycle—all on Infogrid’s intuitive online dashboard.
All that detailed data meant Oxwash could make real savings too. They discovered that at night time, their energy consumption was needlessly high, and so took steps to lower it. Now, Oxwash can save two kilos of carbon for every 12kg load.
Smart climate control is slashing the carbon footprint of an iconic heritage building
Whilst lowering the thermostat or turning down the AC might be a straightforward energy-saving solution for many buildings, it’s not so simple for others.
One example is the Royal Opera House in London, UK, a listed building with one of the oldest gilded plaster friezes in Europe. To preserve this and other ancient treasures, temperature and humidity must be kept within very strict limits, at all times. Previously, this required twice daily, labour-intensive manual checks by visiting engineering teams.
But this heritage building wanted a smart solution. We installed sensors throughout the site, with always-on leak detection and humidity alerts. These smart sensors now supplement visual checks and collate historical analytics, allowing engineering teams to carry out predictive maintenance to avoid issues in the future.
It’s a win-win. The Royal Opera House’s decision to use cutting-edge building technology is not only helping preserve an iconic heritage building but is helping them make substantial energy savings too:
They’ve reduced CO2 by 98% – saving 313,893 kgs of carbon per annum
And saved 5,412 kWh of energy each year.
Building intelligence from Infogrid
Lowering your building’s energy consumption goes far beyond turning down the thermostat. Each one of your building’s systems and processes is an opportunity to make savings.
At Infogrid, our smart solutions collect accurate, reliable, real-time data on everything from energy consumption to pipe health and occupancy levels. Our AI platform then delivers you relevant, site-wide insights that mean you can target your energy consumption to where and when it’s needed. That means significant savings in the long term.
Here are just some of the ways our smart building system can help:
Automated pipe monitoring. Legionella compliance and leaky pipes can take a heavy toll on your energy bills. Instead, use alerts to fix leaks as quickly as possible, and only flush taps when you actually need to.
Always-on energy monitoring. With live, detailed data on your building’s energy consumption, you’ll have the information you need to drive efficiencies and dramatically reduce your costs.
Predictive maintenance. Systems running below par cost energy in the long run. Take a proactive approach to maintenance so you can address problems before they become bigger (and more expensive) issues to fix.
Occupancy tracking. Heating and lighting whole buildings isn’t going to cut it in the hybrid workplace of the future. Use smart sensors from Infogrid to anonymously track room and desk occupancy, and only use energy where and when it’s really needed.
Automated climate control. Our smart platform can help you target HVAC where it’s really needed. The result? Optimised working conditions, lowered viral risk and a 5% energy saving for every degree dropped.
The energy crisis isn't a problem for tomorrow—tackle it today. Try out our demo to find out how we can help.