Cutting Zone - Cutting their lights and energy use!

Background

Cutting Zone needed to improve the lighting in the salon. This was a big investment so they came to Low Carbon Business for support with funding for the project.

Cutting Zone in Westcliff-on-Sea has been under the current management since 2010. In this time they have built up a good degree of custom. However the conditions of certain aspects of the salon need improving, especially the lighting.

The current lighting was a mix of high wattage halogen spotlights and old fluorescent tubes which were very inefficient. The spotlights would often blow which was dangerous to clients and they would also produce unwanted heat which made conditions uncomfortable in the summer.

Cutting Zone decided that the best way to improve the lighting was to replace the spotlights with dimmable low energy GU10s. These would not only save energy but also reduce the electricity costs.

Having identified what they needed to do Cutting Zone contacted Low Carbon Business for support with the project.

Low Carbon Business was to able support Cutting Zone with the cost of the project by helping them through an application for a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant towards 40 % the project costs.

Once the application was approved Cutting Zone was able to complete the work on replacing the lighting in the salon. 

The lighting has been replaced throughout the whole salon with low energy bulbs. Dimmer switches have also been installed in some areas of the salon, which will result in further energy savings. 

Outcomes

Low Carbon Business was able to reimburse £1,028 from ERDF funding to help with the costs of the project.

As a result of the project it is projected that Cutting Zone will use 5,756 kWh less of electricity. This equates to 1 tonne of CO2. They have already seen a reduction in their bills which are now down to £20 a month.

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Cutting Zone - Cutting their lights and energy use!