Businesses are about to come under the energy efficient spotlight, with EECA starting a campaign to encourage simple power saving measures that it says could save up to $2 billion.
At a parliamentary law and order and environment committee hearing this morning, New Zealand First MP Andrew Williams raised concerns about the efforts businesses were putting in to saving energy.
"I'm still appalled, and I noticed here in Wellington, and in Auckland and other places, that looking out my apartment window I see all the Government departments at 11 o'clock at night and they're lit up like Christmas trees,'' he said.
"Floors and floors and floors, and thousands of lights, and I just wonder what we're doing here in Wellington and in other major cities to get these corporates to start turning the lights off?''
In response, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) chief executive Mike Underhill said "not enough''.
However, Mr Underhill told the committee the organisation was about to launch a marketing programme for businesses, to encourage energy saving investments such as automatic light controls.
"For government buildings, we're working with the Ministry of Social Development ... to ensure that they pick up these very obvious things they can do to save.''
Outside the committee, Mr Underhill told APNZ some aspects of the campaign were already under way, and that more forms of publicity would continue to be rolled out over the next few weeks.
EECA would be encouraging businesses to have buildings audited to see where improvements could be made, particularly in the areas of lighting, and heating and ventilation.
"Then we can say 'these are the things you can do' and help fund that.''
It was estimated that up to $2 billion could be saved just through simple changes, Mr Underhill said.
