DAIKIN’S survey into the level of awareness of the ECA amongst facilities managers makes interesting reading, but are we surprised at the findings?
It is easy to be critical but, basically, the ECA – Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme – introduced by the government which allowed purchasers of energy efficient equipment to offset 100% of the initial cost against tax in the first year was, and still is, an admirable concept. You could argue that perhaps there should be incentives for contractors to promote the scheme and maybe it isn’t promoted hard enough by the government/manufacturers/industry, as Daikin suggests, but you are always reliant on the intended recipient of the information being in a position to listen and take advantage of the potential savings.

So if the vast majority of facilities managers are unaware of the ECA and even more are ignorant of its potential financial benefits, should we be surprised?

In reality, how many of the facilities managers’ employers will have considered replacing equipment in the few years since the ECA’s inception? Not many, I would suggest. And, of those who have, how many have been put off by the initial cost of the equipment, irrespective of the potential medium to long term savings? In a land where the cheapest quote is still king, a more expensive energy efficient option is fighting a losing battle. Companies, like people, are more than willing to nod sagely and make the right noises when the issue of climate change is raised but few are willing to pay for it.

As I said previously, you can do your best to inform people but will they be listening? Take the case of R22, I am willing to bet there are still many users out there completely unaware of its impending phase-out.

By all accounts many of the major end users have either not been listening or have been so slow to react that many are now in a panic to replace R22 before the deadline. Far from taking advantage of replacing current plant with the energy efficient equipment to be found on the ECA technology list, many, whether through lack of cash or lack of time, will be using drop-in replacements (themselves, in fairness, giving an increase in performance) in their systems at least as an interim solution.

If a similar survey to Daikin’s was conducted on the F-Gas regulations, I wonder how many would be equally ignorant – and I don’t just mean amongst facilities managers. Phone calls received here in the last few months suggest that not everyone is as well informed as we would like to think.

We can talk all we like but eventually someone has to take note and act.

Neil Everitt

Editor