Scare story and opportunity
May 11th 2009 Andrew Bainbridge, director general, Major Energy Users’Council explains the advantages of comparing notes when reducing comsumption and bills
If you like scare stories, read on. Demand for fresh water will jump by 30% in the next 20 years as the world population explodes to 8.3 billion. The UK may suffer badly if climate change leads to drought. And most pundits agree that only the leanest and fittest businesses will survive the worst recession we’ve seen in our lifetime.
So there’s never been a better time for you to persuade managers, engineers, consultants and manufacturers to work alongside suppliers to reduce your organisation’s water consumption. Water conservation has never attracted the amount of attention or investment that has been devoted to reducing electricity and gas usage. Now that every means of saving money has to be carefully examined, water is climbing up the list of priorities.
It is many years now since the Major Energy Users’ Council set up its Water & Effluent Customers’ Group which brought together the smartest customers, suppliers, manufacturers and consultants so they could learn from each other. We had high hopes that water competition would become a reality and that new suppliers would rush to enter the market. That didn’t happen properly except in Scotland where, belatedly, it was introduced last year.
MEUC was hired by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland to arrange seminars in Glasgow and London where the new rules and the opportunities were spelled out. Both events played to packed houses and WICS is very pleased with the number of businesses which have either obtained better deals from the incumbent Scottish Water or gone to an alternative supplier.
The worst news last year came when Aquavitae, a brave monopoly-busting private supplier we had championed since it first set up, went bankrupt after saving our members considerable sums.
Since suppliers’ plant and equipment requires major investment to meet new EU and UK quality standards, your costs for water and effluent treatment are due to rise dramatically. So we are re-launching our Water Customers’ Group to enable users to meet together to compare notes on ways of reducing their consumption and their bills. Suppliers and specialists will also be invited to present case histories and give their views on best practice.
The first meeting of the Group will be held in the North-West on 9 July 2009 at the premises of Eli Lilly. Mrs Carol Benson of Rockwood Additives will be in the chair. If you’d like to come along, send an email to ab@meuc.co.uk More articles from MEUC Limited: | 
