Go Green - Case Study - Look In Video

Local store sees an increase in footfall while saving over £2000 by switching to energy saving lighting

COMPANY:
Look In Video & Off Licence, Twickenham

BACKGROUND:
Look In Video is a local entertainment centre offering a selection of newly released movies and TV series on DVD and Blu-Ray. The shop also includes an off-licence.

ACHIEVEMENTS:
Look In Video used a £1,000 Energy Efficiency grant from Richmond Council to replace 62 tube lights to T5 energy efficient lighting throughout the shop. This change has saved £2,282 on the annual energy bill and saved 8.52 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Owner Jag Pankhania said it made sense to switch to the energy efficient lighting because it would help cut down on high electricity bills.  He has also noticed an upturn in business since the efficient lighting was installed.  “The lighting is much brighter and it looks like natural light. More people have been coming into the shop so I’ve noticed business has improved as well,” he said.

He suggests other businesses follow suit, particularly with the high energy costs people are currently facing. But he thinks more could be done to raise awareness among businesses about how lights and equipment work and the amount of energy they use. Jag said: “There needs to be more education for businesses on how they can save money and energy and the simple changes that can be made.  If I had known about how much I could save I would have done this much earlier."

Energy monitors have also recently been installed to gauge how much energy is used in the shop. The store has shown how simple it is for any business to save money by saving energy.  There are also other benefits of using ‘daylight’ energy-saving bulbs including reducing glare and in Mr Pankhania’s experience, improving business.

FURTHER INFORMATION:
Go Green Plus is run by MCC Business Solutions and a partnership of six South London local authorities – Kingston, Lambeth, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth. The wide-ranging support programme is open to small and medium sized businesses (1-250 employees) and offers 12 hours of free advice and support to encourage businesses to take action on waste and energy, water and/or CO2 reduction by reducing, reusing and recycling. Go Green Plus is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.