Rushcliffe School in Nottingham is a secondary academy with 1600 students and 200-plus classrooms. In 2017 the school was looking to make savings by upgrading the entire site to energy saving LED fittings and fixtures.
Chris Sanderson, Site Manager, said: “Saving on energy bills was the biggest factor, but we also wanted to standardise the fittings across the site to make sure all the learning and work spaces had bright, modern lighting.”
Having looked at several companies, they made the decision to go with Save Energy 2 Day. “When we do a project like this, price is always a factor, but we also look carefully at different aspects like workmanship and quality. Save Energy 2 Day came out on top.”
It was the right decision, said Chris. “They worked with us from start to finish. For instance the art department wanted brighter light that mimicked daylight. In the offices, we wanted softer lighting. They took all that into account.”
Save Energy 2 Day also helped Rushcliffe access a government-backed interest free loan for the project, which meant there was no upfront cost to the school for carrying out the work.
The savings made on the school’s energy bills, plus a reduction in maintenance costs, more than covers the yearly pay back.
The majority of the work was completed during school holidays, and a team came in evenings and weekends to finish off the project, fitting around the school timetable.
“They had a working plan of action and stuck to it,” said Chris. “It makes a massive difference to have a project manager who is on top of things.
“When it came to snagging at the end of the project, they were very good about sorting out issues quickly.”
The impact on the rest of the staff was minimal, he added. “They were considerate of our staff and flexible in how they worked around other things happening in the school. They liaised with our cleaning staff and if teachers were using areas after school, they worked around their schedules.
“If we ever had an issue, I just rang the company and we had a very quick response. They were very professional. I would definitely use them again.”
