As a lead auditor in the field of energy efficiency and sustainability, Ing. Abigail Cutajar strongly believes that during these times of economic crisis organisations should be going back to the drawing board and evaluating their financial metrics to review how these can be bettered. One area with significant potential is the energy utility within their premises of operations.

During economic booms and peak operations, enterprises might have had other priorities - coping with increased demand, reduced human resources availability, and more. Today, given the impact of Corona on certain sectors, some businesses are experiencing a reduction in production and operations and a corresponding lack of financial resources. This makes reducing operating costs all the more important.

In efforts to promote energy efficiency action, which is aligned with EU carbon reduction goals, while also supporting local businesses, the Energy and Water Agency has launched a scheme through which SMEs such as restaurants, hotels, retail outlets and factories can benefit from up to €5,000 in refunds when they undergo an energy audit for their company.

This audit is a detailed analysis of the industry's energy consumption together with a list of recommendations that can improve its energy efficiency. Companies whose consumption exceeds 75,000kWh are able to apply for this scheme.

While many SMEs are struggling with their financial portfolios, it is a golden opportunity for an organisation to benefit from such a state aid, which is completely incentivised towards getting back on track. It is during such times that investing in energy efficiency improvements can truly be one of the golden opportunities for long-term economic recovery.

Ing. Cutajar manages Sustainability Development within QP, which is a leading architectural and engineering consultancy firm Abigail is the first local Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, LEED® accredited professional on the local market, specialising in Building Design and Construction.