How an Ayrshire accountancy firm got serious about climate
CJM is an accountancy and consultancy with a team of twenty, based in South Ayrshire.
After acquiring another firm in 2021, they faced two challenges: improve their Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating by one band in six months to secure a mortgage on their new office; and switch the new business from paper to digital.
Not one to invest money hastily, director Colin McNally requested an energy audit from Business Energy Scotland. He used the results to make a plan of action, hoping for both financial and efficiency returns.
This included adding insulation, installing LED lights and replacing their inefficient boiler. CJM paid for the changes – worth about £7,000 – with a 0% interest loan and grant from Business Energy Scotland. As the deadline approached, Colin fitted the roof insulation himself over one weekend. To disturb staff as little as possible, they replaced the lights in two days at the same time as the office was repainted.
Colin then turned his attention to their server: a meter square, power-hungry and running 24/7. An IT support agency was tasked with installing an alternative server with the capacity they needed. CJM made “immediate” savings thanks to the new server, which is “the size of a telephone book” and uses much less electricity than before.
Their efforts were rewarded: their EPC score jumped from 91 to 69 in time to secure the mortgage.
“The office is warm when we need it to be ... Our bills during all the massive [price] increases have stayed steady.” Colin McNally
Finally, CJM swapped filing cabinets full of paper records for a cloud-based system. Staff can now access data anywhere, have the security of regular backups and no longer spend hundreds of pounds a month posting paperwork to clients.
What started as an energy and waste reduction project has become the foundation for a larger transformation. In May 2024, Colin attended Climate Springboard where he got support to create a three-year carbon reduction plan.
CJM has now set a goal to halve their carbon emissions by 2030. To this end, they have installed electric car charging points for staff. Plans to add more, as well as extra roof solar panels, are in the works.
“I’m not an environmentalist,” says Colin, but the benefits to the business are clear: “Our [carbon reduction plan] has enabled us to deliver the best response for a tender we can.”
Top Tips from CJM Accounting
- Look at what you can afford. Measure up the cost versus all the different savings that come with energy efficiency.
- Make your carbon reduction plan part of your business strategy. It’s not a box-ticking exercise. It impacts all your ways of working and who you can work with.
- Get an energy efficiency assessment. Take the guesswork out of taking action to reduce energy consumption.
Learn more
Sign up for Climate Springboard, a free business support programme by Edinburgh Climate Change Institute. It’s designed to equip SMEs in Scotland with the knowledge and tools to start out on their journey to net zero.
It lasts just over a month and is completely free. At the end, attendees leave with a company carbon footprint, a template for a long-term net-zero strategy, and a tailored list of quick ways to lower emissions and costs.