It should not be difficult to stop businesses wasting money. But when it comes to energy use, most companies are simply throwing a slice of their revenues at their electricity suppliers. With rising power prices increasing the cost burden, and fears of supply problems in what is forecast to be an unusually cold winter, the next six months could see a change in that profligate attitude.

The government’s Environment Agency has estimated that businesses are wasting £3bn a year by failing to use more efficient equipment and take simple actions such as turning off lights and computers overnight. For years, few viewed the overuse of energy as much of a problem. But the government has had to take an interest because of its obligations to cut greenhouse gas emissions under the United Nations-brokered Kyoto protocol on climate change. Greater energy efficiency is seen as a relatively painless way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels in power stations.