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Car dealers could see their energy bills cut by £6m a year if a new scheme proves a success.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) have joined forces with the Carbon Trust to encourage greater energy efficiency within the automotive retail network.
The project aims to help motor retailers reduce their carbon emissions by 50,000 tonnes each year and reduce annual energy bills by £6m.
The Carbon Trust, a not-for-profit company that helps businesses cut their carbon emissions will visit 30 dealers of varying size to identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency.
The Carbon Trust’s findings will be made available to all dealers, giving top tips and best practice guidance on cutting energy use and saving money.
It will also provide dealers with information on the business case for action as well as case study examples.
“This is an important step in cutting the sector’s environmental footprint and demonstrating our commitment to lifetime sustainability,” said SMMT chief executive, Paul Everitt (pictured).
“Vehicle manufacturers have focussed heavily on improving the efficiency of their production facilities and cutting the emissions of their products, making increasingly significant progress.
Keith Horgan, partnership development manager at the Carbon Trust said, “Current carbon emissions from UK motor dealerships are around one million tonnes a year.
“We are confident that this carbon footprint could soon be reduced by at least five per cent through our partnership with SMMT and RMI.