|
Founded and based in Liverpool, the Catholic Blind Institute is a 165 year old charity, which provides a range of services for people who are blind or visually impaired. The organisation is committed to helping both children and adults succeed and maximise achievement by helping them focusing on their ability, not simply coping with disability.
The Christopher Grange Centre for Adult Blind, part of the charity, is a residential and nursing home, which houses 105 residents, as well as an education and resource centre for those who suffer sight loss as adults. It was incurring energy costs of nearly £75,000 per year that were mostly as a result of running two oil-fired heating boilers and a domestic hot water boiler originally installed in 1971.
Keen to find a way to reduce costs and improve energy efficiency, the Christopher Grange Centre applied for an interest-free loan from the Carbon Trust in order to replace the boilers and also convert a relatively new steam generator from oil to natural gas. Improved heating controls and additional zoning would further increase energy efficiency by more closely matching heating supply to needs.
Although the cost of the project was just over £100,000, the Catholic Blind Institute expects to reduce its energy expenditure by approximately £50,000 per year, as well as reducing carbon emissions by more than 77 tonnes per annum – enough to fill 57 Olympic sized swimming pools. Based simply on the money saved on energy costs, the initial loan of £100,000 from the Carbon Trust will be repaid in around two years and all further savings will go directly to the bottom line.
Martin Sandeman, the centre’s Business Manager said, “The Carbon Trust loan was ideal for us. The application process was straightforward and the decisions were quick. The reduction in our energy and maintenance costs ensures we will make considerable savings at a time when energy costs are soaring. It also has the advantage of being environmentally friendly. It is always rewarding to do something to help the environment but it is doubly rewarding when it improves the bottom line as well.”
|