HOLIDAY boat hire company Sally Narrowboats has renewed its contract with Wiltshire-based company Energy Management LLP after achieving savings of over 10 per cent on its energy usage in the last 12 months.

The Widbrook Marina-based company has helped Sally Narrowboats to dramatically save money on its energy usage and negotiate better deals with suppliers.

As well as powering a 26-strong fleet, Sally Narrowboats offers a full repair and maintenance service for passing traffic on the Kennet & Avon Canal at its dry dock facility in the picturesque Bradford-on-Avon Marina.

Sally Narrowboats General Manager Mark Fraser says seeking external help in energy management has brought about noticeable benefits to the company, and not just financial.

“Thanks to the energy efficiency measures put in place by Energy Management, we have reduced our energy usage by 10.3 per cent over the last year.

“Energy Management assisted us with some upgrade works in our office space and in the workshop and warehouse as well as helping us to negotiate the best possible deals with energy suppliers.

“Originally, we had standard light bulbs installed in high-level fittings that constantly needed changing and were troublesome to get to because of their location. We’ve since had LED lights fitted, which have a five-year lifespan, and less time is now spent on maintenance.”

Energy usage can amount to a third of a company’s overall bills, yet, in the experience of Energy Management chief executive Steve Retford, an engineer with over 25 years of industry experience, there are obvious areas where savings are achievable.

For example, as many as one in five invoices seen by Energy Management over the last two decades have been found to be inaccurate. These errors typically can result in an increase of 3-5 per cent of business energy bills.

Mr Retford said: “Invoice validation is one of our core services. Whether it’s down to inaccurate meter readings, wrongly applied correction and volume factors or CCL and VAT charges, customers often pay more than they should for their energy.

“Our invoice validation service uses a thorough invoice-checking system that shines a light on any errors, so that action can be taken to recover any overcharges as quickly as possible.”