Follow the Net Zero journey to save money while keeping your customers happy

Net Zero behavioural change saved a Hampshire aluminium die casting foundry £20,000 in energy costs a year by simply turning machines off at night.

Andover-based MRT Castings Managing Director Phil Rawnson explained how the family run business reduced energy consumption by a staggering 28% over two years with minimal investment, during EM3 Growth Hub’s Net Zero Opportunity: Making it happen webinar.

This was the first of three Net Zero Opportunity webinars, presented by EM3 Growth Hub Associate Chris Fry and fellow director Clare Ollerenshaw from strategy and sustainability consultancy Accelar.

Chris and Clare provided a thorough and highly informative presentation, discussing climate change and the role of Net Zero in managing this, as well as exploring the benefits and practical quick win actions businesses can take.

Throughout their presentation Chris and Clare shared numerous inspirational examples, ideas and experiences of businesses from across the EM3 region, with Phil joining the webinar to provide an in-depth case study.

As an aluminium die casting foundry, Phil readily acknowledges he is from an industry that is perhaps notorious for be being high energy users. However, he said: “Over the past ten years we have been working very hard both from a cost sustainability and environmental point of view in how we can reduce our consumption, our emissions and our impact on the environment.”

Phil said the business, which employs around 70 people with an annual turnover of £8.5 million, works across a very broad range of industries, from medical devices, through to super cars, defence, aerospace and marine sectors.

“All of our customers in these sectors are now increasingly expecting us to have a programme towards Net Zero. They all have an expectation in their own businesses and supply their chains that are all moving in a direction of Net Zero. Everyone is driving towards the same thing but have slightly different priorities and a slightly different pace for their sustainability agenda.”

He said MTR started its Net Zero journey by measuring and monitoring its energy consumption. It was through this exercise that the company discovered an anomaly in its energy use.

While employees were turning off their machinery at the end of the working day, there was till significant energy consumption overnight. “It turns out we were totally unaware that machine power was being consumed by transformers overnight,” explain Phi. “All we needed to do was turn them off at the isolator on the wall. That move alone saved us £20K a year which just shows what we really can do if we monitor the data more closely.”

This simple measure helped buy-in the workforce’s support by keeping them fully informed of the company’s sustainable plans and successes.

Since then, MRT has not looked back, by adopting more efficient operational practises, ensuring waste material is recycled, investing in more efficient machinery, opening a brand-new foundry building, constructed to the latest standards recovering waste heat from compressors to heat offices and provide offices hot water for the washrooms and by maximising the use of natural lighting. Not content with this, the company has plans to install solar panels and invest in electric vehicles.

EM3 Senior Growth Champion Roya Croudace, said: “The webinars were an excellent introduction to how SMEs can develop and implement their Net Zero plans, fundamental to their future sustainable growth. There are tools and support here at the EM3 Growth Hub to continue the sustainability journey and follow up with the presenters to develop a bespoke plan.”

Watch the full webinar by clicking on the YouTube image below:

Watch the second and third of our Net Zero Opportunity webinars by clicking the links below:

Net Zero Opportunities: Future Proofing Your Business to Remain Competitive

Net Zero Opportunity: A 360° Approach to Become a High Value, High Impact Business for the Long Term