Brrr, It’s Cold Outside – But Is It Also Cold Inside?

For many businesses winter is a time to think about keeping their staff and customers warm – but there are also those who need to think about keeping things cold.

The food retail industry relies on refrigeration to keep its products chilled, fresh, and in a saleable condition. But inefficient refrigeration could be causing businesses to lose stock, and also spend more than they need to, to keep it running. Upgrading to more efficient equipment can pay back within a relatively short period of time, but businesses can struggle to come up with the upfront capital needed to pay for it, even when they recognise the opportunity.

The good news is that there is a scheme which can help.

Interest-Free Loans

Interest-free Energy Efficiency Loans are available from the Carbon Trust using funds provided by Invest Northern Ireland. Loans are available for between £3,000 and £400,000 to help fund upgrades to lighting, heating, refrigeration and air-conditioning. These loans are interest-free and unsecured and are also designed that, in most cases, the monthly energy savings should exceed the monthly repayments.1

Case Study: McBrien’s Spar

One business which has taken advantage of the Energy Efficiency Loan Fund to deliver real financial benefits, is McBrien’s Spar, a supermarket in Irvinestown, Fermanagh. Proprietor Raymond McBrien engaged a supplier to visit his store and identify opportunities to upgrade his equipment. He recommended a dairy cabinet with doors, LED lights and EC fans to save on energy use and costs. Mr McBrien decided to apply for a Carbon Trust Energy Efficiency loan. He provided a quotation and energy-saving calculations from the supplier to help in the application. The application resulted in the following:

• Loan Amount – £19,467

•Annual estimated cost savings – £6,678

• Annual estimated CO2 savings – 29 tonnes The project has had the additional benefits of:

• better lighting in the cabinets;

• fewer temperature fluctuations, so food stays fresher longer;

• store is easier to heat, as less cold air coming from the cabinet;

• no adverse impact on sales

It is expected that the amount of energy cost savings from the project will exceed the cost of the project over three years and following repayment of the loan in full, McBrien’s can enjoy real savings. Raymond McBrien, Proprietor, said: “I found the loan scheme very good, it worked better than I expected it to and ultimately helped our financial bottom line. I would be happy to apply to the loan scheme for any future projects.”

For more info about the scheme, visit www.carbontrust.com/ni

1 Note that loan repayments will still need to be made, regardless of whether the projected savings are actually achieved. Terms and Conditions and eligibility rules apply.The Carbon Trust is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for consumer credit. The Carbon Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales (number 04190230) with its registered office at 4th Floor, Dorset House, 27-45 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NT. Representative example of a 0% APR loan: £12,000 loan over 48 months = monthly repayments of £250. Total repayable £12,000.