Client relations has always been important to us at HF. It is the key to long-term success as a business. As a family run company with such a rich history in Scotland, our culture means more than dates and numbers. So being able to work alongside a company who share similar values to ours is an opportunity not to be missed. It is little wonder therefore that we have built such a strong working relationship with Len Lothian Holdings Ltd trading as Len’s Self Storage.
Len’s Self Storage is a family run business and one of the leading storage firms in the country since 1964; offering affordable storage solutions at sites in both Glasgow and Edinburgh. Famous for their bright orange branding which can be seen on everything from their company website and vans to the exterior walls of their storage sites across the central belt of Scotland, we are proud to have been working for Len Lothian for the last six years mainly focussing on electrical compliance and repairs.
But with spiralling energy prices for businesses up and down the UK coupled with a growing need for businesses to actively become more environmentally conscious, Len Lothian have turned to HF for more than just assistance with electrical work. They have come to us in order to help them embrace a greener future that will crucially lower their electricity energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint. The working relationship that we have built up over the last 6 years means they can trust us to give them the very best in open, honest advise on the various options on the market for companies looking to green.
The self-storage company have been looking at all the options that would allow them to fully embrace green energy solutions but wanted the advice of one of the country’s oldest service contractors to ensure that what they were getting done was not just right for now but for the future.
So what have they been doing?
Electric Vehicle Charging
When you take into account the manufacturing process and the average life expectancy of an electric vehicle, it is estimated that a current electric vehicle available on the market will emit anywhere from 30-80% less CO2 than a traditional petrol vehicle – even less compared to a diesel vehicle.
More and more retail stores are fitting EV charging points in their car parks as a sales tool to increase foot traffic. For supermarkets, it is a great way of keeping customers shopping for longer or taking advantage of the in-house cafe/restaurant facilities that so many of them now have. For retail outlets such as a furniture store, it is a great way to attract customers to their show rooms for a browse in person.
For a business like Len Lothian, having EV Charging Points installed allows them to offer charging capabilities to their staff, thus enabling them to more easily embrace electric vehicles (something which has already happened) as a real world alternative to petrol and diesel powered vehicles, further helping to lower the companies carbon footprint and reducing their dependence on fossil fuels.
With constantly increasing energy prices, it is understandable that businesses across the UK are looking at solutions that can save them money on gas and electricity expenditure. But sometimes, knowing where the money is going is the first step towards reducing it. Hence, Len Lothian requested that we carry out a lighting survey for their sites in Scotland. A Lighting Survey is exactly as it sounds. We conduct a site survey of your existing lighting set up, review your current expenditure on lighting and provide solutions to reduce this expenditure. One of the easiest solutions to reduce your lighting energy consumption is to switch to LED lighting.
It has always been a no brainer in our eyes as the benefits of LED lighting go beyond just the cost saving of making the switch and can deliver an almost instant return on your investment. LED lighting is one of the best ways for businesses to lower their energy consumption quickly and therefore cut their energy costs. If your business is still using conventional spotlights, halogen bulbs or fluorescent lighting in your commercial premises, we can help you save a lot of money on your energy bills. The financial savings of switching to LED lighting means that switching to LED lighting will pay for itself incredibly quickly, saving your business a lot of money in the months and years ahead.
Switching to LED Lighting is not just about saving money of course. For a storage facilities like Len’s Self Storage, switching to LED Lighting also brings with it the benefits of:
Increased Colour Rendering. Did you know that LED light bulbs have a high CRI? This means that in darker environments with low levels of natural light, LED lighting can illuminate more objects in a surrounding area thanks to a higher CRI. Ideal for a storage facility.
Increased Brightness and Intensity. LED lighting is capable of emitting a far higher level of light power compared to halogen or fluorescent lighting fixtures while requiring a lot less energy to do it. This means that not only do you cut your energy bills but you actually need less LED lighting fixtures (depending on what type of LED light fighting you select) to light the room to the same intensity as before.
Long Life Span. The components of an LED light and the way that they generate light means that they have a far greater lifespan than other light sources. A traditional light bulbs filament will weaken over time which causes the bulb to burn out – LEDs do not burn out meaning you need to replace them less.
LED lighting offers considerable benefits to businesses as a way of reducing energy bills and maintenance requirements whilst offering a well-lit, safe working environment. And that is exactly how Len Lothian saw it as, after we had completed the lighting survey for them and they had seen the various benefits of LED lighting, they contracted HF to begin making the switch in all their storage facilities earlier in the year.
Such is the energy saving benefits of switching to LED lighting that Len Lothian should only have around an 8 month payback period!
The next big step that Len Lothian’s facilities will be embracing is to have solar panels installed so that they can begin to harness the power of the sun for their energy needs.
While solar panels have been around for a long time, the advances in solar power generating technology have taken real strides in recent years. Solar PV only requires daylight rather than sunlight to produce energy which means it can offer a real alternative to brown energy – even in Scotland! Solar panels are simple to install and will lower a business’s annual electricity costs, while giving them more electricity budget stability.
With this next step in Len Lothian’s green energy plans, they will be able to take more control of their energy consumption while helping to lower their dependence on the national grid. The new solar panels that they will have installed will generate around 47000kWh per year meaning that the payback period for each site will only be around 5-6 years!
At HF, we are one of the oldest and most highly regarded services contractors in the UK and as part of a bold new direction, we have been embracing green energy solutions like those mentioned above so that our customers can benefit from reduced running costs while lowering their carbon footprint.
For many, it is assumed that going green requires a heavy financial investment coupled with long timelines in order to recoup their initial financial outlay. But there truly has never been a better time to go green as the rising energy prices has meant that these simple to implement solutions have far quicker ROI timelines than ever before and all with real environmental benefits for your business and our planet. We all need to be doing more to help lower our energy consumption and become more environmentally friendly as we aim to reach net-zero by 2050. Steps like solar panels, LED lighting, Energy Reports and EV Charging Installations are just some of the solutions that your business can take towards a greener future.
At HF, we have diversified and developed abreast of industry advancements and have grown into a group of world-class companies leading the way in next-generation technologies; and all with a family continuity at management level which is rarely seen. In the green energy sector, from energy surveys and design all the way to full installation and year round maintenance contracts, we offer a bright way forward for energy solutions in your business. Leading the charge towards a more sustainable and efficient future, we can help your business to lower its energy costs and lower your carbon footprint.
Do you own or are in the process of purchasing an electric vehicle?
Question 2
Do you have off road parking or a designated parking space?
Question 3
Do you have access to the EVC Network?
That’s great!
There are currently incentive grants available to reduce the cost of installing an EV Charge Point at your property.
To find out if you are eligible for an EV grant and to generate a quote for your EV Charging Point installation from HF Group, please click the button below.
Based on your answers, unfortunately we do not believe that you are currently eligible for a Government grant for your new EV charging installation.
However….as one of the leading electrical contractors in the UK, we can still install your EV charging station.
