How Sustainability Can Help You Win Business

As younger generations continue to factor sustainability into their buying decisions, Helec’s CHP (Combined Heat & Power) units and Self-Powered Heat Pumps can help businesses make the environment a priority. Find out how in this article.

Where sustainability was once a bonus for customers, it’s now a non-negotiable for many – especially the younger generations.

As the impact of climate change intensifies and worries for the environment increase, the world is becoming increasingly conscious around sustainability.

But it’s not just recycling plastic and switching off lights. Customers are considering sustainability as a top priority when making buying decisions, with many only interacting with businesses that make it their duty to work towards a greener future.

According to Glowfeed, 9 out of 10 food and grocery consumers believe it’s important for businesses to act in a socially and environmentally responsible way – and that’s carrying over to all industries. Statista also reported that 90% of UK Millennials were happy to pay more for sustainability in 2022.

There are many benefits to businesses becoming more sustainable, such as:

Cost reduction
Enhanced brand value and reputation
Customer and staff retention

So let’s take a deep dive into why and how customer expectations are changing, and how businesses can move forward.

Why and how are customer expectations changing?

Climate.gov found that 2023 was the warmest year on record on both land and in oceans. It also suggests that our activities, such as burning fossil fuels and clearing forests, add around 11 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere every year.

According to Nielsen, 75% of Millennials are “eco-conscious” as a result of this environmental damage, and it is impacting their buying habits in favour of environmentally-friendly products and businesses.

It’s evident that consumers, especially Millennials and Generation Z, aren’t lying down as they make lifestyle changes in a bid to save the planet.

The more damage inflicted upon the world, the more demand for sustainable business practices will continue to increase.

So how can businesses take action, become more sustainable and appeal to the next generation of customers?

Switching energy providers is an option, but greener energy suppliers are more likely to charge more per kWh and they remain restricted by price caps, just like any other firm.

The alternative is to take the power into your own hands, installing equipment on-site to feed energy directly into your facility.

Here’s how Helec can help

Whether you run a care home, hotel, school or hospital, there are habits you can adopt to make your business more sustainable. Some are as simple as recycling correctly, minimising your use of paper, conserving water and educating your employees.

Installing solar panels, wind turbines and PV systems are also incredibly beneficial options. However, your energy solution is a huge factor in determining the sustainability of your business.

At Helec, we stock several products that could help kickstart your journey to a greener business.

Our CHP (Combined Heat & Power) units allow you to generate your own power on-site, reducing your energy costs and your carbon footprint in the process.

Having a CHP unit installed means you reduce your CO2 emissions and transmission losses and improve your energy security, helping you meet carbon legislation compliance, such as Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROC).

For larger-scale systems, Helec can even help provide zero-cost capital funding so that you can finance the system over an agreed affordable repayment timescale.

Our PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) option also allows you to enter an accommodating fixed-term contract with a funder to purchase the electricity generated on-site at a much lower rate than the energy market charges.

When you choose a Helec CHP installation, you choose unbeatable support from your very first enquiry to selecting the right unit and the installation itself. We will discuss your exact requirements and aspirations so we can offer the right package to suit your facility. Helec in-house commissioning engineers will install your unit(s), then monitor, service & enhance it to optimise its efficiency.

Helec’s CHP packaged solution’s are installed across all 4 corners of the United Kingdom, from Newquay in the Southwest of England, to Ellon in the North of Scotland.

Our Self-Powered Heat Pumps also help ensure a greener future for your business, relying on heat transfer principles and generating fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to more energy-intensive alternatives.
Heat pumps can often be up to three times more efficient than old non condensing gas boilers. Marry these heat pumps with a supporting CHP unit and you have a self powering low carbon solution !!

Find out more about our services, browse through our case studies and discover which of our packaged products could work for you. If you have any questions, contact us today.