The Day-Today Local Myre Store is a convenience store in the Bellsmyre area of Dumbarton. Having previously installed modern LED lighting throughout the store, and enjoyed the energy savings that this provided, the store owner, Babar Latif, contacted the service for support to reduce bills even further.
Our independent and impartial assessment helped Babar see if any further energy savings were feasible. The results of our assessment were condensed into an easy to read summary report of recommended improvement projects. Each recommended project included the estimated cost to implement along with the annual savings it would provide. This enabled Babar to fully understand and prioritise the best actions to take.
Two key recommendations were identified for the store. The first concerned the electrical heating system that was in place. The system was very costly to run and for that reason was only used sporadically. Our report recommended that Babar should consider installing an air source heat pump (ASHP) to provide heating throughout the store, along with thermostatic and timer controls to allow the operational requirements and occupancy of the store to be efficiently matched.
ASHPs extract heat from the outside air. They can get heat from the air even when the temperature is as low as -15° C and are around three to four times more efficient in their use of electric power than simple electrical resistance heaters. Indeed, our report estimated that this upgrade would cut the store’s annual energy bills by £1,460. With an estimated installation cost of £4,500, the payback for installing an ASHP would take just a little over 3 years.
The second recommendation concerned the shops two large fridge units. These units were old and weren’t double glazed and it was therefore recommended that they be upgraded to newer, more energy efficient models that incorporated double glazed doors to reduce heat loss. Our report estimated that this upgrade would cut annual energy bills by a further £1,485. With an estimated installation cost of £20,000, the payback for the new fridge units was 13.5 years.
With further support from our advisors and an unsecured, interest-free SME Loan, Babar has been able to install the new ASHP and the new fridges. Total energy savings are estimated at over £3,000 (6.6 tonnes CO2) a year, which will payback the total capital expenditure in 8.3 years. This is a triple win for Babar as the store is now heated at low cost and with low carbon emissions and can be heated comfortably throughout the year.
“I’m very satisfied with the support received, it was quick and effective to get things organised.” Babar, Owner, Day-Today Store.
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