Turning belief into action

With costs rising, skills hard to find, nimble new competitors and cash-strapped consumers, it’s a tough time to be a food & drink manufacturer.

With margins in the industry currently at 5.3%, as against a historical average of 6.3%, and energy typically accounting for 15% of operating costs, energy efficiency should surely be a prime focus. Yet for just one example, evidence suggests that despite potential energy savings of up to 75% from energy efficient lighting, just 21% of UK food & drink manufacturers say they’ve implemented it at all or most of their sites.

It’s not that manufacturers aren’t aware of the issues. 56% say they believe investing in energy efficiency technologies to be ‘very important’ for their business. Clearly there’s work to be done turning belief into action.