As the weather has taken a colder turn over the weekend, my thoughts (along with, I am sure, many other parents across the country) have turned to how on earth I am going to get the mountains of laundry that my children produce dry over the winter without using the tumble dryer. My thoughts are also with those who will face much more difficult challenges as the cost of living crisis continues.

It is not just the general public checking through their wardrobes to make sure the whole family have enough jumpers, blankets and fluffy socks to keep them warm. Despite the (very welcome - without going into the politics) help promised by the government to keep bills down, both the general public and businesses are still going to see the highest energy bills they have ever had this winter. 

To try to combat these increasing costs, the owner of Louis Vuitton (LVMH) has announced that it will be lowering the thermostats in its stores by 1C, turning off lights in stores at night and asking staff to consider their working habits - taking the stairs instead of the lift, turning off computers when not in use and minimising the use of printers. Their aim is to reduce their energy consumption by 10%. Whilst the main consideration seems to be lowering bills, these measures will also help the environment by lowering emissions.

I suspect we will see many businesses, whether retail, offices, logistics or otherwise following suit over the next few months. I just hope that if/when (depending on how optimistic you are feeling) energy tariffs return to a more reasonable level, some of these changes will stick as we learn that we can (without suggesting anyone should go cold or hungry) live without such high levels of consumption.