Energy advice service saves business over £2,500 per year on their energy costs

Warwickshire's Business Energy and Advice Service supports Sheldon's Wine Cellars to access grants helping to improve their energy performance and efficiency.

Sheldon's Wine Cellars can potentially save over £2,500 per year on their energy costs following energy efficiency improvements made with a WBEAS grant.

Sheldon's Wine Cellars, based in Shipston-on-Stour, is a small, independent wine merchant founded in 1842. Owner, Shane Slater, contacted the Business Energy Advice Service (BEAS) to understand more about the energy efficiencies that could be made. 

The service, commissioned by Warwickshire County Council and the five District and Borough Councils, offers free energy audits which are conducted by the team at Coventry City Council. An Energy Advisor met with Shane to find out more about how the business functions and the challenges they face. 

The audit discovered that the premises couldn't provide the correct temperature control needed for the wine. The results of the audit showed the display area suffered from significant temperature changes throughout the year, the loft above the customer display area had no insulation and the display area had a single glazed bay window and solid walls with no insulation, all contributing to high energy costs.

The Energy Advisor provided several recommendations to improve thermal performance and therefore energy efficiency, these included: adding high quality insulation to the loft, replacing the single glazed window with double glazing and insulating the solid walls to improve thermal performance. 

Sheldon's Wine Cellars was able to use these results to access a BEAS grant to help implement energy-saving measures, potentially saving over £2,500 per year on their energy costs. These improvements would not only reduce the business's carbon footprint but also enhance the comfort of the premises for both employees and customers.

Shane Slater, the Business Owner of Sheldon's Wine Cellars said: "The process of organising the energy audit was easy. Carl turned up on the day and spent a good couple of hours with us understanding our energy needs and surveying the building. He made some recommendations on the day which were included with others in his comprehensive report that followed. He's given us a path forward, helping us understand how we can make our environment more suitable for our business. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending the service to any business concerned about energy costs and usage."

Dave Ayton-Hill, Director of Economy and Place at Warwickshire County Council, said: "The Business Energy Advice Service supports our local businesses to become more energy efficient and can also help to make cost savings. 

"Creating a sustainable future for our businesses and communities is a key priority for Warwickshire County Council and WBEAS is a great example of collaboration between local authorities across Warwickshire and Coventry, supporting businesses to be as well-equipped as possible for the future."

Tony Perks, Deputy Chief Executive at Stratford-on-Avon District Council said: "It's great to see a local business benefiting from this funding. As a District Council, we are committed to developing a sustainable Economy and tackling climate change.  Programmes like these are vital for enabling businesses to become more resilient and sustainable for the future, whilst also easing the burden of rising costs. I would encourage eligible businesses to take the first step to reduce their carbon emissions and see how this funding can help their business."

WBEAS is funded by UK Government (through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund via all five district and borough councils and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero via West Midlands Combined Authority) and Warwickshire County Council.
Coventry City Council have been appointed to deliver the WBEAS service. The grant scheme is managed by Warwickshire County Council.