...with a little help from our friends

(How Yorkshire businesses are tackling the energy crisis and helping the planet)

A business backed project to encourage environmental investment is paying off for Yorkshire businesses now facing soaring energy bills.

The Betterworld philanthropic organisation set up by AESSEAL plc is intended to limit the negative consequences of climate change. Betterworld members have a Board level commitment to put environmental projects first, but also to provide a direct conduit for environmental projects to the Board, for their own workforce, suppliers and customers.

As a result of best-practice sharing, a number of members have been encouraged over recent years to invest heavily in energy saving measures including solar panels and battery storage.

AESSEAL, the founder of Betterworld, say that with energy prices now soaring, they are about to benefit to the value of £636,500 a year as a result of inspiration and best practice sharing from another Betterworld member, GrippleLtd (Gripple). The founder of Gripple, Hugh Facey, advised AESSEAL that Gripple had already installed over 900 solar panels on various factory roofs in the Sheffield area.

At the time the decision was made to recondition its roofs and buy 2,300 solar panels, AES had just re-signed electricity contracts at an average rate of 6p per kilowatt hour and gas at 2p per kilowatt hour. At the time of writing, since businesses do not fall under the energy price cap, a renewed contract would
mean electricity costs rising to 85p per kilowatt hour, a staggering 14 times more, and gas rising to 26p per kilowatt hour, a staggering 13 times more.

AESSEAL and AES Managing Director, Chris Rea, says that while the original investment decision was primarily for environmental reasons, the helpful advice “from our friends at Gripple”, was now paying significant business dividends.

“In summary one of the largest beneficiaries of the Betterworld initiative is its founder, AESSEAL, as a direct result of their Board of Directors gratefully receiving best practice input from a Betterworld member, Gripple.

“AESSEAL and Betterworld would like to thank Gripple and Hugh Facey for reducing the annual energy bill at its Rotherham Headquarters by an estimated £636,500 a year when the installation of the 2,300 solar panels is completed.”