Voltage optimisation (VO) specialist Powerdown220 has completed the UK’s largest ever VO rollout for pub and restaurant chain, Mitchells & Butlers. The year-long project involved VO installations at over 1,100 sites and is already delivering significant energy savings.

Mitchells & Butlers decided to invest in VO to lower its energy bills and reduce its carbon footprint. The large pub and restaurant chain, which owns popular brands like Harvester and Toby Carvery, chose VO specialist Powerdown220 to manage the project.

The average UK voltage supply is 242 volts, but most equipment is designed to work optimally at 220 volts. VO is a technology that lowers incoming voltage from the National Grid, and has proven effective at delivering cost savings for businesses who are large consumers of electricity.

After an extensive survey of Mitchells & Butlers estate, 1,125 sites were identified as suitable for VO, making this the largest multi-site project of its kind ever attempted in the UK. At the peak of the project, up to sixty machines were being installed every week.

‘‘I didn’t realise beforehand that this would be the biggest project of its kind in the UK, but that fact puts it all into perspective,’’ reflected Dale Fenton, energy manager at Mitchells & Butlers.

The company was looking to invest in a technology that would deliver cost savings and improve its sustainability and found VO to be a technology that ‘‘ticked both boxes.’’

The unprecedented scale of the project meant unique challenges. Ensuring sufficient resources were available and manufacturing output was maintained required careful forward planning. Powerdown220 also drew up on its relationship with Ashcrofts, which carried out 40 per cent of the installations.

‘‘We are enormously proud to have completed a project of this scale and delighted that Mitchells & Butlers placed their trust in us,’’ commented James Goody, director at Powerdown220.  ‘‘The experience of successfully completing this rollout in such a short period of time has also provided unique opportunities for learning, which we can now carry forward.’’

Powerdown220 provides VO to businesses across the UK. To quickly discover if your company can benefit from VO, use the savings calculator on www.powerdown220.com

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