Awards celebrate efforts of ‘energy-savvy organisations’

A university and a local authority-owned market are among the winners of national awards that recognise organisations that go the extra mile for energy efficiency.

Bolton Market, which won the ‘innovative saver’ category in last year’s Love Energy Savings Awards, took the ‘super saver’ gong this year for the changes it has made to reduce energy consumption.

It has changed all lighting to LED with sensors installed where possible. Old glass roof panels have been replaced with polycarbonate ones to reflect heat and solar panels have also been fitted to two roof elevations.

The University of Reading was named ‘star of the future’ for what judges called an ‘innovative approach to becoming greener’. It has reduced their carbon emissions by installing a fume cupboard in science labs.

Other winners included Élan Hair Design in Inverurie, which scooped the ‘SME saver’ award for its work to ‘gain a reputation as the most eco-friendly salon in the country’. The business has invested £250,000 to cut emissions and waste via a number of measures including solar panels, an air-source heat pump, the purchase of carbon-neutral furniture and by composting hair clippings and other biodegradable waste. The salon has managed to divert 95% of its waste from landfill.

Winner of the ‘innovation saver’ award, Sutton Coldfield based Ian Hazel Funerals, derives at least 70% of its electricity from solar panels and has also introduced rainwater harvesting and heat recovery through a mechanical ventilation system.

Phil Foster, managing director of business energy price comparison firm Love Energy Savings, said: ‘It was an incredibly difficult task to select the finalists – the standard of entrants was incredibly high. The awards have grown substantially in their second year, and we are hoping that this will continue.

‘We hope that receiving the awards not only gives the winning businesses the recognition they deserve for their efforts to become more environmentally friendly, but that they also inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Everyone can play their part, and these awards prove that we can all make changes to help create a better future for us all.’