April 28, 2006—Amidst constant reports in the media of higher utility costs, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has released a research report which confirms that organizations across the board are experiencing higher costs than in previous years. Seventy-five percent of the 630 facilities with data included in the research report have experienced an increase in utility costs, with 20 percent reporting an increase of 10 percent or higher.
Some of the report highlights include:
- The cost of natural gas increased more than 40 percent, while electricity costs decreased 3 percent, since 2004.
- An average of 367 rentable square feet of space is allotted per occupant.
- 57 percent of washrooms are cleaned once a day, while 40 percent of washrooms are cleaned more frequently.
- 47 percent of phones are never sanitized, whereas 10 percent are cleaned once a day by janitorial staff.
The study which led to IFMA’s Operations and Maintenance Benchmarks research report encompassed approximately 420 million square feet, providing data for office facilities, headquarters and other types of facilities including research, museums, hospitals, clinics, call centers, factories, courthouses, airports and correctional facilities.
“Most of the costs we examined stayed the same as in the previous study conducted in 2004; however, we saw a large swing in utility costs,” said Shari Epstein, IFMA’s associate director of research.
IFMA is the largest and most widely recognized professional association for facility management, supporting approximately 18,000 members. The full Operations and Maintenance Benchmarks research report is available for sale in IFMA’s bookstore or by calling 713-623-4362. The cost is $60 for the association’s members and $120 for nonmembers.
