Rising heat, rising bills

Mark Bradley at Flexera describes how data centres take a hidden toll on UK businesses

 

As temperatures soar past 30°C across much of the UK this summer, the impact of extreme heat on data centres is becoming a pressing concern for technology and business leaders. It’s not just people who feel the heat—IT infrastructure struggles too. Modernising outdated hardware can help mitigate these challenges by improving energy efficiency and easing pressure on cooling systems, offering both environmental and operational benefits.

 

 

Rising energy demands and cost volatility

The scale of energy demand from data centres continues to grow. According to The IT Asset Manager’s Guide to Sustainable IT (2025), global power consumption from these facilities is expected to double by 2030.

 

Meanwhile, the 2025 PwC Energy Survey reveals that 83% of companies expect their energy consumption to increase this year as they adopt more technology, including AI. At the same time, 92% anticipate energy tariff volatility will raise costs in the next 12 months.

 

This combination of rising demand and unstable pricing presents a growing challenge for UK businesses trying to manage IT budgets and protect operations. Nearly half of surveyed organisations have now set net-zero targets for 2030, up from 28% the previous year—reflecting increased accountability for managing environmental impact alongside energy use.

 

Together, these data points underscore the need for robust strategies to boost efficiency and build long-term infrastructure resilience.

 

 

Hybrid IT environments complicate visibility

Many companies today operate hybrid IT setups, blending on-premises systems, co-location centres, and cloud services. Flexera’s 2025 State of the Cloud report shows that 70% of organisations embrace hybrid cloud strategies, using both public and private clouds.

 

While this approach offers flexibility, it also introduces complexity. Tracking power use, costs, and environmental impact across diverse IT estates becomes more difficult. Without full visibility, businesses risk overlooking hotspots vulnerable to heat-related failures or energy inefficiencies that drive up costs.

 

Heatwaves exacerbate these risks. Cooling systems must work overtime, which can lead to slower server performance, strain on local power grids, and—in some cases—region-wide outages.

 

A stark example occurred in July 2022, when Google’s London data centre suffered a “simultaneous failure of multiple, redundant cooling systems” during a record-breaking heatwave. The facility was forced to shut down to prevent further damage, causing service outages for many UK businesses.

 

Virtualisation offers a practical solution. Running multiple virtual machines on a single physical server reduces hardware needs, cutting both power consumption and cooling requirements. It’s a straightforward way to boost efficiency and reduce Scope 2 emissions.

 

It also simplifies hybrid estate management. With fewer moving parts and better visibility, businesses can identify and resolve issues faster—enhancing resilience and supporting sustainability goals.

 

 

Embedding sustainability into IT governance

To build more sustainable hybrid environments, businesses must go beyond technical quick fixes. Addressing the environmental risks of IT infrastructure requires a governance approach that integrates sustainability into technology investment and operational decisions.

 

Organisations should aim for visibility over energy use and carbon emissions across their IT portfolio. Practices such as IT Asset Management (ITAM) and FinOps provide tools to measure, report, and manage environmental impacts alongside financial performance.

 

Automated tracking of energy efficiency and emissions helps identify priority areas for action. Dynamic resource allocation and AI optimisation can reduce energy use in data centres and cloud environments.

 

Many businesses are already taking steps to address rising energy demands across their IT infrastructure—from in-house systems to cloud services and third-party data centres.

 

Flexera’s 2025 State of the Cloud report shows 84% of organisations are prioritising cloud cost management, and 36% are tracking their cloud carbon footprint. Virtualisation and containerisation are widely used to run workloads more efficiently and cut energy use.

 

Advances in cooling technology also help lower energy consumption in data centres and cloud systems. This reflects a growing trend of organisations planning and acting on cloud sustainability, including adopting practices like sustainable DevOps to improve software efficiency and reduce emissions.

 

Another key step is modernising IT infrastructure. Outdated servers and networking hardware can be significant contributors to unnecessary energy use. Replacing legacy equipment with more energy-efficient systems improves performance and reduces direct (Scope 1) emissions. Regular audits of IT assets help identify where upgrades will have the greatest impact on both sustainability and operational efficiency.

 

To fully address the rising demands of hybrid IT and climate pressures, businesses must scale these practices and embed them into long-term strategies.

 

 

A call to action for business leaders

Changing weather conditions and volatile energy markets are reshaping the operating environment for UK businesses. Business leaders must understand how digital operations affect energy use and environmental risks to protect their organisations and control costs.

 

One step in the right direction is to invest in visibility and governance across IT estates. This enables better-informed decisions, infrastructure optimisation, and collaboration with partners on sustainable practices. These proactive steps will help businesses navigate climate pressures, build resilience, and deliver on long-term sustainability goals.

 

The heatwave headlines may fade, but the underlying risks for IT infrastructure will persist. For companies that depend on data centres, addressing these challenges head-on is essential for long-term success and stability. 

 

---

 

Mark Bradley is Senior Manager, Product Management at Flexera

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and Evgen_Prozhyrko