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Five FM trends that will save you time in 2024
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In this article, experts from TAP, a leading property management software company, share five current key trends that can speed up your work and improve outcomes in 2024 and beyond…

  1. Improving efficiency through automation in Facilities Management

For Facilities Managers, leveraging technology to enhance efficiency remains pivotal—an evolution that doesn’t mean relinquishing control to robots but rather embracing software capable of automating repetitive, labour-intensive, or error-prone tasks.

For example, TAP’s property management platform is a robust system designed to seamlessly alleviate the burden of manual tasks. Our permit tool streamlines the entire permit process, starting from request initiation, progressing RAMs collection, contractor check-ins, and securely storing the associated paper trail.

  1. Unlocking the power of data in the property sector

In today’s world, data is ubiquitous, and is integral to most industries. In recent years, the property sector has begun to embrace the transformative potential of data and analytics.

The TAP platform not only collects data but also provides comprehensive analytics through an intuitive dashboard. This powerful tool reports and analyses a wide range of property operations, from identifying peak periods to monitoring permit requests on a monthly basis, and even tracking energy consumption.

  1. Empowering facilities managers with proactive maintenance solutions

Preventive and predictive maintenance strategies are aimed at bolstering building performance while mitigating unforeseen repair expenditures. Regular upkeep ensures operational efficiency and safeguards against sudden, unexpected repair costs.

TAP’s helpdesk module and its innovative analytics dashboard is designed to facilitate optimal maintenance planning. This advanced software enables FMs to strategically schedule maintenance during opportune times, reducing disruptions for tenants and capitalising on quieter periods.

  1. The rise of IoT technology

The FM industry is poised to embrace IoT technology to a greater extent in the upcoming years. The Internet of Things refers to connected devices that engage with the physical environment through sensors, facilitating seamless data transfer. Integrating your property management software with these devices wherever feasible can significantly enhance the automation of data collection processes.

  1. Sustainable benefits for commercial property management

The focus on sustainability in commercial property isn’t a passing trend; it’s an imperative that continues to increase in significance. It is also poised to become increasingly pivotal from a building compliance standpoint, with the expansion of ESG reporting and likelihood of more stringent legislation. Energy efficiency is a key focus area both ethically and economically.

TAP’s sustainability module serves as a comprehensive tool, providing an encompassing overview of a building’s energy usage, allowing for the identification of areas that can be improved.

Visit: www.tap-in.co.uk/

Is the UK ready for the smart city technology of the future?
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It’s no secret that smart technology and artificial intelligence are becoming more widespread. With 54% of the world’s population living in cities, a figure predicted to rise to 66% by 2050, there is a clear need for technological advancements to keep up with the increase in population.

So-called smart cities focus on making life easier for all inhabitants, encouraging advancements not only in technology but also sustainability. Lower emissions, reduced energy usage and carbon neutrality have possible via technological advancements. There are roughly 140 smart cities already operating across the world and this number is only predicted to grow!

Zurich is currently the leading smart city in the world, closely followed by Oslo, Canberra and Copenhagen. London achieves the sixth spot, providing smart solutions such as an advanced 5G network and heavy investment in AI. But how ready is the UK for our technologically-advanced future?

Electric cars

Lower emissions and a reduction in the use of fossil fuels are some of the key markers of a sustainable, smart city. Electric cars are leading the charge when it comes to minimising emissions.

At the end of last year, there were a total of 2.7 million public charging points for electric vehicles worldwide. China boasts over 1.7 million of these chargers, with Europe installing around 530,000. The United States is lagging behind in terms of EV charger availability, with the lowest growth rate among the major market players at only 9%.

The UK government have committed to a plan for 100% electric vehicle dominance by 2035, with a ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars coming into effect in 2030. With a total of 11.6% of all new UK car registrations relating to electric cars in 2021, it does seem that the UK is moving towards an all-electric future.

But the current number of electric charging points across the country totals just 44,400, with 13,382 of these in London. This provision is not enough to keep pace with the number of electric cars predicted to be on the roads in the coming years. In order for the UK to reach its target of 300,000 charging points, our monthly installation rate needs to increase by a huge 288%!

The reliability of charging points is also uncertain, with recent research revealing problems with accessibility and functionality. 30% of Londonderry’s charging points experience extended downtimes. Newcastle follows close behind, with over 21% of charging points within the city non-functional.

Further technological innovations need serious consideration and investment to combat this issue. For example, anti-vandal measures, such as toughened touch screens, will reduce the number of broken charging points. The UK government’s proposal of a streetlamp capable of charging an electric vehicle and selling power back to the National Grid also provides hope for a smarter, more sustainable future.

Sustainable advancements

Sustainability is an essential part of the smart city, as technology strives to make urban life easier and more efficient. The UK must be net zero by 2050. Denmark, Finland and Spain are currently leading the race towards carbon neutrality, but it seems Copenhagen will be the first city to claim the title. To reach the goal, 100% of a city’s heating must come from sustainable, renewable sources.

Initiatives such as Copenhagen’s CopenHill are setting them apart from other cities. CopenHill is a sports centre which sits atop a waste-to-energy plant that supplies power to a large number of homes and businesses within the city. Lahti in Finland are also making strides with their carbon-free symphony orchestra – a world first achieved by cutting down on transportation and energy usage!

Many of these initiatives are possible with AI and the ability this technology holds to help reduce emissions. In the last two years, the use of AI to attain granular data on a business’ carbon performance and improve power efficiency has helped reduce greenhouse gases by 13%!

The UK aren’t far behind, with Nottingham unveiling plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2028. Recent encouraging findings reveal the city has reduced its emissions by 52.3% since 2005 – the highest reduction of any UK core city! The city is also following in Copenhagen’s footsteps by turning waste into energy used to power over 5,000 homes and 200 businesses.

Smart transport

There’s more to smart transport than just electric cars. Advancements in technology now allow for larger vehicles, such as buses, to run on low-carbon biogas and hireable e-scooters are currently undergoing a trial period across 23 areas within the UK, including London and Newcastle.

Newcastle’s bright orange scooters have proven popular with locals, travelling more than a million miles during their trial period! However, the trial has seen a number of extensions and there are frustrations around the government’s willingness to fully introduce the sustainable travel method. With 97% of users viewing the scooters as having a positive impact on the local economy, it surely makes sense for them to be fully legalised, enhancing the sustainability factor of the city.

Hull is another UK city looking to technology to enhance the experience of its community. Their Smart Bus trial began at the start of this year, communicating essential information to passengers waiting at bus stops in an accessible fashion. The ‘Sm@rt’ app is available to download from the app store and gives customers the option to access timetables and important updates from their own phone or to have it read aloud. This will open up the bus service to a wider range of passengers, thereby increasing the efficiency of transport whilst also encouraging a more sustainable method of transportation than a car or taxi.

Nottingham has harnessed technology to achieve their net carbon reduction, installing over 130 EV charging ports, ensuring 46% of taxis and 30% of public buses run on either low-carbon biogas or electricity.

Mark Cambridge, CEO at Zytronic, comments: “The vision of cities such as Newcastle and Nottingham and their use of technology is encouraging when it comes to the UK meeting our net zero goal.

If the UK continues to innovate and reaches the proposed targets for the coming years, our cities will become truly smart and capable of thriving within the technologically focused future.”

IoT and the road to long-term water security
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Climate instability combined with an expanding population and escalating levels of per capita consumption are creating unsustainable pressure both on water resources and an overstretched supply network. Yet, without any insight into where leaks occur or how consumer behaviour affects consumption, how can water companies meet the government’s ambitious plans to reduce usage? Alex Barter, Manging Director, B4T, and Gareth Mitchell, Key Account Manager UK, Heliot explain why smart metering is key to creating a water secure future.

Urgent Change

The UK has a serious water problem. 3 billion litres of water – over a fifth of the total supply – are lost to leakage every single day. Not only is this a terrible waste of a valuable resource, but when 3% of the UK’s energy consumption is required to move water around the country, the full environmental impact of leakage is even more significant.

Nonetheless, water awareness remains low. People rail against the hosepipe bans and complain about the abstraction that depletes rivers across the country. However, consumers are a key contributor to wasted water. From dripping taps and faulty ballcocks to more serious leaks between the home and the street supply, 25% of UK homes are affected by leakage of a litre per hour.

Furthermore, at 140 litres per day, the UK’s per capita water usage figures are far higher than in more water conscious countries, such as the Netherlands, where usage is 107 litres per day. Be that as it may, without any insight into how much water they are using and no understanding of the financial or environmental cost, consumer behaviour will not change.

Identifying Leaks

While the highly regulated water industry is under pressure to address leakage – and, because meters are in place for just a fraction of the UK’s residential and smaller commercial properties, water companies are blind to the locations of leaks. What is customer side? What is network side? Where should investment be prioritised? How can consumers be encouraged to change their water consumption behaviour?

If the industry is to achieve the leakage reduction goals proposed by OFWAT, metering is imperative. How else will companies identify the 20% of houses that use 80% of water? Or target the 1% of worse performing properties responsible for 80% of all leakage? The ability to identify and address the biggest problem areas will deliver a very rapid improvement in leakage performance.

Yet today just a fraction of the UK’s business and consumer premises are metered. Even then these meters are typically not smart, requiring manual data collection. The problem has been the cost and complexity associated with deploying proprietary metering technologies at scale. How can companies deploy meters to millions of households? How can the sensors pick up information when the meters are buried underground, typically beneath metal covers which can block access to 4G, 5G or Wi-Fi? How can the information be collected, collated and analysed to deliver immediate, usable insight?

IoT Value Proposition

Proprietary technology has constrained smart metering not only in the UK. In both Slovenia and Switzerland, where water companies have a smaller customer base, meters are ubiquitous – but not smart. Every company relies on a fleet of engineers to drive around and manually take water readings. In addition to the cost, companies lack the real time insight into water usage required to quickly identify and repair leaking pipes.

The arrival of the Internet of Things (IoT) and highly reliable, low power networks such as SigFox, have fundamentally transformed the cost/ benefit model for smart water metering. Sensors can collect water usage in real-time. Data can be transmitted and transformed using machine learning to provide unprecedented insight – from highlighting the biggest areas of leakage to supporting predictive maintenance.

There is also no need to rip out and replace the existing infrastructure. Current metering solutions can be upcycled into connected assets at a fraction of the cost to replace and without creating any landfill. With batteries that last up to 15 years, companies can deploy once and gain long term benefit. For water companies in Slovenia and Switzerland, this approach is already proving compelling.  Engineers can be redeployed from meter reading to added value activities, and the existing asset estate can be reused to create an intelligent, smart meter network that delivers real-time alerts into leakage incidents.

Conclusion

No one is underestimating the scale of the challenge facing UK companies. Over 260,000 miles of water mains – many ancient. A population with limited awareness of the value of water. But if further action is not taken, between 2025 and 2050 the UK will need more than 3.4 billion additional litres per day to meet future demand for public water supply – and that is not financially or environmentally sustainable.

For water companies, the ability to identify the sources of leaks in real time is amazingly powerful. It will enable rapid response to problems, minimising the amount of wasted water and support far more targeted investment. For consumers, better understanding of their water usage habits will be vital to encourage individuals to change their behaviour and reduce day to day consumption. Together, these changes will be essential to achieving a secure water future.

Central London office investment hits £2.1bn in Q1, but remains dow on pre-Covid levels
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Investment in the Central London office market for Q1 2023 is expected to have reached £2.1bn in Q1 2023, with provisional figures indicating that £1.4bn was invested in the City of London and £670m transacted in the West End throughout the period.

Research from real estate services specialist JLL says that this represents a 63% drop from the corresponding quarter of 2022.

The difference is attributed to an unprecedented strong first quarter of 2022 due to the wide scale return to the office post-pandemic driving up volumes. In contrast to investment activity prior to Covid-19 the first quarter of 2023 has seen a 39% fall compared to the £3.4bn that was transacted in Q1 2019.

According to JLL within Q1 2023, there were 22 transactions across Central London. There have been a number of notable transactions, including the sale of St Katharine Dock to CDL for £395m, ChinaChem’s purchase of 1 New Street Square for £349m and the sale of 60 Gracechurch Street to Obayashi for £140m.

These muted Q1 figures follow a slow final quarter of 2022, in which £1.9bn was transacted. JLL attributed this in part to the volatility surrounding the government’s mini-budget and the subsequent fallout during September and October. JLL has predicted that investment activity will improve in the second half of 2023, with elevated capital flow from Asia-Pacific buyers, particularly those from Singapore and Hong Kong.

Julian Sandbach, Head of Central London Office Markets at JLL, said: “The level of capital deployed into Central London in the first quarter of 2023 has been relatively muted with a total of £2.1 bn invested, notably down on the corresponding period in 2022 when we saw £5.7bn committed following the end of covid restrictions and a return to office. Clearly the significant inflationary pressures seen building from summer 2022 and the corresponding rising cost of financing have impacted confidence and liquidity, leading to a more cautious environment.

“Despite these challenges London continues to see significant capital from overseas, notably Asia with largest transactions in the capital undertaken by Singaporean, Hong Kong and Japanese investors. Much of the investment is channelled into high quality, well specified, environmentally enhanced offices, which is where there is strong focus from occupiers seeking to pre-lease and capital seeking to fund or joint venture. International and domestic investors remain focussed on attaining London assets and we expect to see investment volumes begin to increase in the coming months.”

Grid instability ‘jeopardising energy security for data centers’
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A new report has mapped out temporary opportunities for facility stakeholders in major European data centre markets to maintain site resilience in a challenging climate.

Titled Uptime on the Line, the new two-part whitepaper from Aggreko interviewed 700 data centre professionals consulting for large businesses in the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. It sought insight on topics including the state of current grid infrastructure, power outages, local energy prices and supply chain delays, and how these are affecting facility construction and operations.

The report’s findings also map out how the sector’s soaring energy consumption rate is affecting its ability to put in place long-term strategies alongside short-term solutions to counteract further uncertainty and incoming stricter regulations. According to Billy Durie, Global Sector Head – Data Centres at Aggreko, the respondents’ views demonstrate how there are tactical opportunities to help manage energy and temperature control in today’s facilities.

“Data centre demand is constantly increasing, yet utility provision needed to service this new development pipeline is currently under strain,” said Durie. “Keeping new and existing facilities online during this continued expansion are therefore priorities of global importance, so it is vital conversations occur on the best way to deliver power and temperature control to sites.

“Resilience is being tested by events outside the sector’s control, including volatile energy pricing, extreme weather conditions, high consumption rates and a degraded supply chain. As this report demonstrates, old certainties such as being able to keep server halls online more than 99% of the time are now in jeopardy, meaning operators will need to explore new approaches to mitigate risks.”

With these concerns in mind, the report identifies tactical short-term solutions and more strategic, long-term options to address common obstacles for data centre professionals. This includes insufficient grid power, outages from ageing equipment, adopting demand side response schemes and fluctuating heat and power requirements.

“Today’s pressures are so significant that businesses could begin to lose sight of the longer-term view, especially in a sector dominated by short-term deadlines,” Durie concluded. “However, equipment is available today that can help lower dependency on the grid while addressing other key issues such as decarbonisation. Yet integrating decentralised energy plans poses unique issues that require expert supplier assistance to simplify and navigate.

“On-site generation, implemented with hired equipment strategies explored in this latest report, can therefore present huge opportunities for data centres, which are synonymous with high energy consumption rates. Identifying the correct equipment approach will be key to weathering growing macro issues around energy and temperature control provision, so it is crucial data centre stakeholders work closely with equipment experts to do so.”

Manufacturer renews water partnership following continued excellent service from trusted experts Water Plus
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A manufacturer with a base in Scotland has renewed their water partnership for five years with Water Plus.

SEH Europe provides the UK, European and global semiconductor market with silicon wafer products including 150mm and 200mm Polished Wafer and Epitaxial Wafer and are based in Livingston, Scotland.

The company also tracks its water use at the site through a data logger, providing online information on water use. It also has a Combined Cooling Heating Power Plant (CCHP), generating all the energy needed in their operation at the Scotland site.

Robert Crail, Principal Engineer at manufacturer SEH Europe (Shin-Etsu Handotai Europe Ltd), said: “Water Plus is easy to deal with, responding to any queries I have in a fast and efficient manner and gives me an excellent level of service. Because of this I was more than happy to renew our contract for water services for the next 5 years. This allows me to forecast costs and work with Water Plus in the longer term, addressing any needs we might have, with regard to our water use and effluent discharge.”

Helen Murphy, Key Account Manager with Water Plus – who is based in Scotland and works with Robert and the company, said: “SEH Europe has been with Water Plus a number of years and know they get the knowledge, expertise and value through their water partnership with Water Plus, so it’s great we’re continuing our work together.”

SEH Europe is part of an alliance dedicated to corporate social responsibility in supply chains and has committed to Net Zero by 2050.

Water Plus, which has a base in Glasgow and one in Staffordshire, provides water and wastewater billing and customer service, along with a range of technical water services and information around water efficiency, for organisations of all sizes across England and Scotland. In March 2023 it’s won a UK Customer Satisfaction Award in the Sustainable Customer Service category, including for its work with organisations around their water use and awareness raising. It was also shortlisted for three Water Industry Awards in 2022, including Water Retailer of the Year and Water Efficiency Project of the Year.

Water Plus also won two National Sustainability awards in October 2022, including one for Water Reduction approaches around water efficiency work and awareness-raising – and won four Green Apple Environment Awards in November 2022, including Gold for Water Management.

To partner with Water Plus for your water and wastewater, contact hello@water-plus.co.uk.

More information – and examples – of how Water Plus is helping organisations, is available at: https://www.water-plus.co.uk/about-us and more tips to #BeWiseOnWater , increase efficiency and reducing risks to operation can be found here and here.

Start Fresh campaign to encourage hiring of ex-offenders into FM roles
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One in three (30%) UK businesses in the private sector do not currently employ any ex-offenders, despite the majority (62%) saying they are struggling to fill positions and 43% finding it difficult to fill in excess of ten current vacancies.

That’s according to a new study commissioned by Sodexo, the food services and facilities management business which runs six UK prisons on behalf of the Ministry of Justice and Scottish Prison Service.

The study sought to understand the extent to which prison-leavers and ex-offenders who have not served custodial sentences have the same employment opportunities as other job seekers.

Launching the campaign ‘Starting Fresh’ today, the organisation is collaborating with partners including New Futures Network, The Oswin Project, Clean Sheet and Novus Works to help remove the perceived barriers associated with the employment of ex-offenders, which hold back the reintegration of people into communities.

Sodexo, which itself is a Ban the Box employer, commissioned research of 1,000 owners and senior leaders with hiring responsibilities across British businesses, finding nearly two thirds (61%) will be hiring ex-offenders in 2023, while 21%2  say they will not.

When asked about their greatest concerns, one quarter (25%) agreed they were worried employees would re-offend, and the same proportion agreed they feared for the safety of the rest of their workforce (25%). More than one in five (23%) agreed that they wouldn’t trust them to behave appropriately at work.

More positively, as the UK grapples with a talent shortage, many businesses this year said they are investing in training for their HR teams to ensure ex-offenders are supported in the company (40%). Almost half (46%) said that supporting their wider community was important during this time, and one of the reasons why they’d be hiring people with criminal records.

The research found a cross sample of industry leaders believed ex-offenders could help to fill shortages in specific areas such as food pickers and delivery drivers in farming (62%), and talent shortages in hospitality (57%).

When respondents were asked what might encourage them to hire ex-offenders, 22% suggested there should be a government initiative which incentivises businesses. A fifth (20%) suggested an initiative giving businesses a target for hiring ex-offenders, and 20% said a need to fill crucial skills gaps would force them to look at individuals with criminal records.

According to the UK government, though the proportion of prison-leavers who were employed at six months from their release rose by almost two thirds between April 2021 and March 2022 to 23% , this must improve.

Sodexo is itself committed to filling 5% of appropriate job opportunities with ex-offenders. During 2021 and 2022, the business had 162 DBS applications return as positive, 133 (82%) of these went on to gain employment.

The facilities management and food services company, which employs more than 30,000 people in the UK and Ireland, knows both from its own experience looking after a prison population of over 6,000 people across six prisons, with a commitment to rehabilitation, and as a proactive employer of ex-offenders, how critically important it is for both the individual and the wider community to support those with a criminal history.

Statistically, ex-offenders who get a job are less likely to re-offend, while 81% of consumers believe businesses employing ex-offenders are making a positive contribution to society.

Commenting on the findings and launch of Starting Fresh Tony Simpson, Justice Operations Director at Sodexo UK & Ireland said: “While not all ex-offenders are prison-leavers, an important aspect of this campaign is to help employers understand the quality of learning which takes place in prison. Nearly 50,000 people leave prison every year, many emerging with formal qualifications they didn’t have before.

“Prisoners at the sites we manage are prepared to be job-ready for the opportunities in the outside world, whether that be in IT support, cleaning, catering, hospitality or hairdressing and beauty.

“It can be a win-win situation because there is a huge skills shortage in many UK sectors, and we believe ex-offenders could absolutely help to plug some of these gaps, while providing a more stable and secure income, and a better future, for the individual.

“It’s positive to see the majority of businesses suggesting that they will employ from this largely untapped talent pool in 2023.

Starting Fresh is not just about helping employers understand the valued contribution ex-offenders can make to their business, but to also encourage them to proactively engage with our prisons and our partners to start the hiring process with prison-leavers.

“We have more to do, and we want to start new conversations about how we share our experience and learn from others as part of this campaign.”

Kate Nicholls OBE, CEO UK Hospitality added: “Most hospitality businesses cannot currently operate at full capacity due to ongoing labour shortages. Collectively, the industry is turning away £25 billion of potential revenue a year, with huge consequences for the Treasury. As such, hospitality employers cannot afford to turn their back on any talent pipeline that could provide vital resource. The issue is that employers don’t know how to access at scale the volume of recruits – prison leavers and other ex-offenders – potentially available to them. It’s great, therefore, to see Sodexo launch Starting Fresh which will really help demystify the process.”

To help businesses with the employment of ex-offenders, Sodexo has launched Starting Fresh, an online hub with resources for employers seeking to discover the underutilised community of people with criminal backgrounds and support them in the workplace, as well as case studies of what impact this has had on the companies and individuals involved.

Sodexo is also using this campaign to let employers know they are welcome to visit their prisons if they are interested in offering opportunities on release. Organisations with multiple job opportunities can even run employer days in the prisons.

Sustainability to Psychedelics: Science and technology trends in 2023
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What’s in store for research and development around the world? From super-apps, through psychedelic medicines, to metaverse and sustainable technology, 2023 has something for everyone. Here, tax incentive and innovation management advisers, ABGi take a look…

Super-apps

Super-app is a mobile or web application that allows for integration of multiple online services within one digital ecosystem. The term super-app was first used to describe WeChat, the hugely popular Chinese all-encompassing mobile application. Think of it as a Swiss knife with a range of built in smaller tools (mini-apps) that you can use and customise for different tasks.

2023 will see an increased interest in super-app solutions among developers and end users. This is expected in particular in the ‘west’, where there’s still no equivalent to the Chinese pioneering app. Walmart is reportedly developing a super-app for its workforce in order to create a single, streamlined experience for its employees and managers by replacing multiple vendor-supplier applications. For better or worse, Elon Musk has recently announced plans for his own super-app. It is likely that “‘X’, the everything app”, will have something to do with his acquisition of Twitter.

Psychedelic Medicines

Mental health issues are increasingly prevalent in contemporary societies and conventional medicine appear to have reached its limits in addressing them. The coming year could see a revolution in pharmaceutical industry through engagement with drugs long associated with hippy and party cultures. MDMA, Ketamine and Magic Mushrooms are currently in final stages of testing trials to treat various mental health conditions.

It is hoped that MDMA could be used in treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Ketamine is being tested to treat addiction related illnesses such as alcoholism. Finally, an active component of Magic Mushrooms – psilocybin – could be used for treatment-resistant cases of depression. Many researchers are hoping that 2023 will see first psychedelic-assisted therapies approved by regulatory bodies in the USA and the UK. It is likely that in the near future currently illegal substances might be prescribed to you by a doctor.

Metaverse

While it might have been recently popularised by Mark Zuckerberg, metaverse is much more than Facebook’s attempt to remain relevant. In a nutshell, metaverse allows people to replicate or even enhance their physical activities in a virtual reality world facilitated by headsets and smart glasses. The technology has been simmering under the global tech surface for a while but many industry specialists predict this year will be pivotal for both the users and developers. As the technology is increasingly becoming part of the public consciousness, we will be seeing more people joining in the fun with big brands hoping to start capitalising on their initial investments in various metaverses. 2023 will also see many smaller and mid-size businesses flocking to the virtual world to start new ventures and services.

Sustainable Technology

Driven by climate emergency and the war in Ukraine, the shift towards green and renewable solutions will only accelerate in 2023. Sustainable technology is a framework for digital solutions that can enable environmental, social and governance outcomes for businesses and customers. The framework adheres to circular economy principles by considering the environmental impacts throughout the entire life span of each product. It is expected that sustainable technology will not only incorporate well-established products but also create new avenues for tech development. In doing so the framework will also provide products and services that enable customers to meet their own sustainability goals.

Save Water, Save Money and reduce risks to operations, by gaining more data and seeking out the experts
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Looking closer at water use at a site during the year can have a range of benefits for organisations – large and small.

Being more aware of water that’s used helps organisations reduce water waste and risks to supply interruptions on site water pipes too.

Tracking water use throughout a year can also provide more benefits – with more than 45 sites alerted to water issues spotted by data loggers on water meters in just one day, after a rise in temperatures following colder weather in December 2022.

The Water Plus Advanced Services team was closely monitoring the data feeds to alert organisations too and issues included a manufacturer that saw water use increase from 200 litres an hour – to 2,000 litres an hour, tracked by a data logger through the Water Plus online smart portal. They acted immediately when the Advanced Services team made contact and isolated the issue on a site pipe.

Water know-how, to keep in mind, for your sites

Along with knowing what water you’re using where, at sites, it’s also important to cut out any water waste to not only reduce costs but reduce the chance a pipe issue causes the flow to stop.

Cutting out any water waste, like drips or leaks, also helps reduce impacts on the environment – along with reducing the carbon emissions linked to water, which is under Scope 3.

If less water needs to be moved around by pumps at a site, or if less is used overall, for example across an industrial or manufacturing facility, then there’s an energy saving there too.

And organisations say looking closer at their water use has saved them energy, saved water and helped them budget*.

Having a plan in place pays off

Having a water action plan, so you and staff on-site know what to do in a water emergency, is essential to save time and money if the worst should happen.

Do you have clear channels staff can report water issues quickly and easily – to prevent any issues affecting a building, or its water supplies?

Take time to:

  • Understand your water system and monitor use throughout a year. A survey found 92% of people, from public sector and private sector organisations, said they wouldn’t know if there was an underground leak at their organisation.**
  • Know where the stop taps are, and make sure staff and facility managers can find them – and turn them off, when needed. It’s worth checking during a year – as part of maintenance routines – that stops taps are in working order and haven’t seized up.
  • Check what your insurance covers – know who has financial responsibility.
  • Know who to call in the event of an emergency – have numbers ready, so you can respond to leaks or water emergencies quickly and effectively.
  • Consider a plan for emergency water delivery to your site, in case of a supply interruption.
  • Insulate exposed pipework, tanks and cisterns – plus, it’s worth checking your site, if it’s left empty at times – and keeping an eye on the weather for additional surface water or icy conditions.

Water Plus provides water and wastewater billing and customer service, along with a range of technical water services and information around water efficiency, for organisations of all sizes across England and Scotland.

It’s been shortlisted for two UK Customer Satisfaction awards in 2023 and a Green World Award in 2023. It was also shortlisted for three Water Industry Awards in 2022, including Water Retailer of the Year and Water Efficiency Project of the Year.

To request data loggers, or additional water efficiency services, contact the Water Plus team at: hello@water-plus.co.uk .

More tips to #BeWiseOnWater can be found here.

* Survey in February 2022 of customers contacted to encourage more water meter readings to track their use closer and submit more reads to Water Plus during a year. More than 43% of respondents to the survey had seen a benefit of reading their water meter more often out of 65 who completed the survey. Of those who saw a benefit, 41% said they had saved water (with the example on the question of saving water helping to spot a leak or a dripping tap), and 20% had saved energy (with the example on the question of using less hot water).

** Online poll in January 2022, during presentation, with 26 responses on survey question.

How commercial roof surveys help you to save money
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The roof is integral to the building’s protective envelope – it must be designed to keep the weather out and maintain a stable internal temperature. It also has many secondary functions, including aiding fire protection, structural rigidity, and constructional support for other services like air conditioning units, ducting, and insulations.

As capital works and refurbishment budgets are reviewed and finalised ahead of summer projects, it makes sense for estate managers to consider their roofing systems and ensure they are in good working order. 

Building Envelope Health Check

A commercial roof inspection and survey is essential to any organisation’s proactive approach to asset management. From the outset, it is crucial to remember that a survey’s purpose isn’t just to identify the condition of a specific building’s roof but to act as a gauge for the overall health and maintenance programmes for your entire estate. By carrying out a commercial roof inspection, you identify an y potential causes of degradation and potentially head off a costly repair or restoration bill in the future.

Many factors can affect the performance of a roof system over time, including wear and tear, ageing, temperature changes, poor quality installation and exposure to the elements. These roofing issues can lead to changes in appearance and defects, such as splits or cracks forming on the roof’s surface. Other signs include damaged flashings or sealants and penetrations around areas where plant equipment has been mounted.

Minimise Disruption

Regular commercial roof surveys and maintenance programmes help ensure the systems perform at their best for longer. Taking care of your business’s roof will continue to ensure that the occupants will have a safe and comfortable environment to work in, with minimal business disruption, for years to come.

At Garland UK, we strongly recommend that all commercial estates conduct a comprehensive commercial roof inspection of their facilities annually to help safeguard their future. Our Technical Managers are expertly trained and have years of industry experience providing free roof condition surveys as part of their service.

Roof Survey Process

A typical roof condition survey begins with assessing the building’s operational requirements and challenges. Once on-site, a thorough roof condition examination will be underway to investigate any roof defects, locating any areas of water ingress or system issues.

U-Value calculations will help identify the building’s operational thermal performance, and carrying out a core sample will determine the roof’s existing build-up and condition under the surface. Once the roof has been evaluated, a thorough condition report outlining the technical analysis and findings from the site visit will be provided, with a tailored selection of solutions to remedy any issues.

To ensure your roof receives the best possible service and expertise, we recommend choosing a reputable and experienced roofing partner to conduct the survey, preferably accredited by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC).

The Benefits

Ben Whitemore, Product Manager at Garland UK, adds, “Identifying a defective roof can be challenging, especially when the source of a building’s leaks can be completely untraceable to the naked eye. We always recommend regular checks on your roof to ensure it stays in optimum condition, year after year.”

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