Spiralling energy costs are one of the hottest topics for businesses already coping with the aftermath of both the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit. So much so that many companies and organisations are increasingly opting for cost effective and environmentally sustainable ways to run factories, offices, schools and even churches.
And, according to Adam Griffiths - managing director of family-run - upgrading your heating system can be a great investment for hard-pressed businesses.
“With some of the services and products, the savings can pay for the cost of the installation,” he explained. “Even more so now with the cost of fuel. Whether you are on a gas, oil or electric system, the savings are there to be had. If you have an older system you can make some significant changes and the benefits can be seen very quickly.”
Even relatively small switches can have a positive impact on the bottom line.
Saving money - and the environment
In fact, says Adam, lots of savvy companies are now using monthly mobile phone-style finance packages as an alternative to swallowing up their cash flows to pay for new heating equipment. As new systems are 95+% efficient (as opposed to about 70% for older installations) those energy savings can usually pay for the rental or lease cost of that piece of equipment.
The Government’s decision to phase out gas as an energy source over the next decade is also having a big impact on the choices organisations make with many turning to the , something that UES has extensive experience of.
“There’s a big buzz in the industry at the moment about solar panels,” said Adam. “It started a couple of years ago when everyone began to focus on renewable energy. You see solar panels now being very much commonplace and that’s something we have been heavily involved with for a number of years.
“With electric prices where they are, payback for a solar installation on a domestic property is about three years at the moment. If you have an industrial or manufacturing type client, solar panels will provide all that energy to run the machines, factories and services, so the payback is even better and quicker because they have higher demand on their energy use already. We have had people put solar panels on a few years ago and they are now going back and putting new panels on because technology has changed and they can get more out of the panels now - some are literally filling every spare bit of roof space.”
Partnering business and organisations
As a family-run business operating across Bristol for 35 years, UES has built long and trusted relationships within the region.
UES was founded in 1986 by Adam’s father, mechanical engineer Roger Griffiths, specialising primarily in warm air heating. Over the years it has gained a wealth of versatile talent and experience, branching out into all modern aspects of,, and . Its client base across the South West and South Wales spans a multitude of commercial and industrial sectors, including sports and leisure, retail, transport, healthcare, places of worship and education.
As experts in the trade, UES offers complete design, installation and maintenance for all aspects of mechanical building services. And its fleet of highly qualified, local engineers offer tailored, personal and reliable communication to clients - something Adam is proud of.
He said: “A lot of companies have moved away from having their own engineers in-house, but we still have a dedicated team. The blueprint nowadays is very much to bring in sub contractors but we have the same engineer who is going back to a client year after year so they get to know both the customer and the equipment they are working on, We have engineers who have worked for us for 25 years and people do like that familiarity - we build those relationships.”
To complement the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning projects UES is recognised for, the company also has electricians on hand to upgrade and maintain the accompanying system controls. And its fast-growing renewables arm includes air source heat pumps and ground-source heat pumps as well solar panel installations.
There for the community
UES sponsors Community of Purpose, an organisation dedicated to transforming the lives and futures of young people.
As well as being part of their Pennies for Purpose scheme, UES hosts an annual cricket tournament to raise funds for their Break Free initiative, helping eradicate holiday hunger over the summer.
Last year its cricket day, full of inflatables, food trucks, kids’ Olympics, ice cream and craft stalls raised £3,100 - with this year's event notching up about £5,000.
- To find out more about UES
BristolLive Business Awards 2022
UES is a proud sponsor of this year’s BristolLive Business Awards
The annual awards ceremony, run in association with BusinessLive and newspaper Bristol Post, recognises the city’s best and brightest companies, bringing together senior leaders from wide-ranging industries, from large corporates to fast-growing start-ups.
This year’s event will be returning to Ashton Gate Stadium on November 24.
Entries for the awards are open until 5pm, September 16. To find out more information about the awards or to enter, visit .
