Whitehall's energy department has published a new guide to help public bodies and businesses slash utilities bills by £1bn over 10 years. The Department of Energy and Climate Change compiled the guide to help organisations prepare for the introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment from 2010. The CRC is a mandatory emissions trading scheme covering 5,000 medium-to-large sized organisations – including councils, Whitehall departments, schools and businesses. It aims to cut UK carbon emissions by four million tonnes a year by 2020, the equivalent of taking a million cars off the roads. Experts estimate the carbon reductions will also lead to savings of £1bn off energy bills. The new guide identifies which organisations are covered by the CRC and provides information on how to reduce bills. A senior Whitehall source told The MJ: ‘The DECC's guide is useful. Some of the content is a little obvious, but it outlines our obligations under the CRC very clearly and few people could take issue with the broad aims of the initiative.'
