Green accounting from York-based HippoGE Aviation Wales has seen a saving of £1.4 million on its energy bills since it made a commitment to improving its energy efficiency with the help of Carbon Trust Wales.
The company, which specialises in servicing aircraft engines, invested £200,000 into energy saving projects since its initial survey with Carbon Trust Wales in 2006 and has since benefitted from savings seven times over that figure.

Carbon Trust Wales advised the company on industrial process improvements, such as servicing its air compressors and identifying all air leaks, as well as optimising everyday energy use.

GE Aviation Wales was inspired to take action after visiting InBev brewery who had already worked with Carbon Trust Wales to improve its energy efficiency.

Hywel Evans, Maintenance Manager at GE Aviation Wales, said: “Visiting InBev brewery gave us an insight into what other companies are doing to improve energy efficiency and inspired us to create our very own Green Sky Team.

“Our Green Sky Team is made up of volunteers from across the business who expressed an interest in sustainability. We have regular meetings to share ideas, drive new initiatives and review progress.

“By encouraging employee participation our sustainability ethos has filtered throughout the company. This way all of our employees have an increased awareness of energy consumption and are taking responsibility for their energy use which in turn is making savings for the company.

“We are really pleased to have made such significant savings. Following a recent survey by Carbon Trust Wales we are hoping we will be able to make further improvements.”

Lucy Hoggins, Account Manager at Carbon Trust Wales, said: “It’s so encouraging to see a world-leading manufacturing facility like GE Aviation Wales reaping rewards for its commitment to energy efficiency. The money saved can be re-invested into the company and support further business initiatives as part of GE Aviation Wales’s sustainability action plan.

“Businesses can learn a lot by looking at what other companies are doing to improve their energy efficiency and can often be incentivised by seeing the savings they are making.
“GE Aviation Wales’s £1.4 million saving proves that energy efficiency is worth investing in.”

Funded by the Welsh Government, Carbon Trust Wales is an independent organisation which gives high quality energy advice to private, public and third sector organisations.