49M energy saving campaign launches first Business Energy Rating Index

South Africa’s national energy efficiency campaign 49M has released a new Business Energy Rating Index for corporate, retail and industrial companies to promote energy efficiency within the workplace.

The inaugural index is aimed at encouraging “private and corporate citizens to do their bit”, 49M said in a statement.

According to the energy campaign, the index rating measures local companies’ energy consumption according to specific parameters, one of which includes all ‘under roof’ space utilised by the company (excluding garages and storerooms) per square metre.

Indexing by efficiency

The voluntary Business Energy Rating has 12 companies listed so far, which will help 49m to identify energy management trends within similar industries.

Pieter Pretorius, acting general manager, Strategic Marketing Initiatives and Brand at Eskom, said: “The Index uses a simple formula that is based on global standards. The index incorporates measures to be included in an organisation’s sustainability reports and will provide organisations with valuable engagement and reporting tools. We invite all organisations to participate in the inaugural 49M Business Energy Efficiency Behavioural Index.”

Measuring energy efficiency: Call to companies

Pretorius welcomes all companies to submit accurate information on their current “usable operational space and their annual energy consumption.”

“The index will provide organisations with an additional reporting measure for sustainability reporting. Companies will also benefit through structured and assisted employee engagement. It is an opportunity to measure efforts made by organisations – against their industry counterparts, as well as the rest of the world,” Pretorius concluded.

The Index will be updated quarterly as more organisations provide information to participate.

The 49M Business Energy Efficiency Index first release 2015