Businesses ‘under energy cost strain’: survey
16 Jul 2012
AAP
The Australian Industry Group has found that businesses are improving their energy efficiency but are still under pressure from rising energy prices.
The Ai Group report Energy shock: Pressure Mounts for Efficiency Action surveyed more than 300 businesses about their use of energy, their management of electricity costs, their energy efficient practices and their views on related government policies.
The organisation has recommended that governments engage more closely with industry in the design, implementation of energy efficiency policies.
It also recommends that governments investigate business responses to changing energy prices to determine whether they were impacting on competitiveness.
Ai Group chief executive Innes Willox said the organisation’s previous research showed that in the five years to 2010 two-thirds of businesses made no or negligible improvements in their energy efficiency.
However, he said in the latest report the situation has been reversed.
“In the three years to 2012 two-thirds of businesses have achieved improved efficiency performance,” he said.
“Three quarters of respondents have….”