Third of small businesses do not shut down computers at night

E.ON is on a mission to get British business energy fit and found that more than one in three (39 per cent) of UK small businesses are not shutting down computers at night, and one in five only power down fully at the weekend.
 
Iain Walker, Head of Business Sales at E.ON, said: “Ten per cent of small business owners wrongly assume that leaving computers on standby at night uses the same amount of energy as shutting them down completely. 
 
“Introducing small changes into the culture of your business, like turning equipment off fully at night, can have a significant financial impact on your energy bills.”
 
E.ON’s research shows that small businesses in the retail sector are the biggest wrongdoers, with over two-thirds admitting that they do not shut down work computers at night. Even more concerning is that 59 per cent of businesses in the retail sector only fully power down computers at the weekend. Those in the agriculture sector were the most energy savvy, with 69% shutting down every night.
 
Small businesses in the North were found to be most lacking in awareness of energy usage, with 23 per cent of small businesses in Yorkshire and 21 per cent of small businesses in the North East, believing that leaving computers on standby uses the same amount of energy as shutting down completely.
 
Those in the South were most energy aware, with only 4 per cent of small businesses from the South East, and 5 per cent of small businesses from London, believing that leaving computers/electrical items on standby is the same as shutting down.