Power cuts give $10.8m in savings

By CHRIS DANIELS

Conserving energy has saved companies $10.8 million in power costs in the past year, says the Government efficiency watchdog.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority runs an EnergyWise programme, which helps to subsidise energy audits of commercial power users.

Chief executive Heather Staley said medium-sized businesses and manufacturers could cut their energy use by 20 to 30 per cent, and large ones by 10 to 20 per cent.

She said this year's savings of $10.8 million came on top of an average of $20.5 million a year in previous years.

The drop this year was because a lot of member companies had already made the big, obvious moves.

One of the leading savers was Carter Holt Harvey, which cut $3.4 million a year off its energy bill, while keeping production the same.

Carter Holt made these savings by rescheduling so it used less power at peak times, using waste products to create energy at its Kinleith pulp and paper mill site and by reusing the heat from hot water.

The National Bank was praised for shaving $260,000 from its yearly power bill by improving lighting and air-conditioning in branches and asking them for separate energy-use reports.

The EnergyWise Companies programme has been running for six years and has about 550 members.