Price surge forces 98% of firms into energy efficiency investment

Investment has become a default response across global industry.

Nearly all—or 98%—of companies globally are investing or planning to invest in energy efficiency, up five percentage points from 2024, amidst rising pressure on profitability due to energy costs.

An Energy Efficiency Movement (EEM) survey revealed that 54% said rising energy prices present a moderate or major threat to profitability, a figure that has increased since 2022.

This comes as energy accounted for 23% of operating costs amongst surveyed firms, with the data showing a gap between investment intent and execution.

Companies increasingly view energy efficiency as essential to financial performance, particularly in energy-intensive sectors, where cost exposure is higher.

Despite near-universal investment plans, internal constraints are limiting delivery, with 31% of organisations lacking specialist resources to implement energy efficiency projects, 29% report a digital skills gap, and 23% say they do not have sufficient data to justify investment internally.

Cost remains a barrier but has declined in significance, with 43% of organisations citing upfront cost as the primary obstacle in 2026, down from 53% in 2024.

Financial requirements also remain strict, with 83% of firms requiring a return on investment within five years, whilst 40% require payback within two years.

The report shows a shift in investment priorities beyond individual assets, with 49% of organisations prioritising transportation and logistics in 2026, up from 37% in 2024.

Over 60% of companies have also invested in energy audits and cloud data management to support wider system-level optimisation.

Mike Umiker, Managing Director of EEM, said, “81% of organisations say better financing or government incentives would increase their investment, and more than half say they need external support across four or more areas.”

The findings align with a broader policy and industry debate on industrial energy security.