Gatley find fairway to save money
GOLFERS bunkered by the cost of utilities at their clubhouse came up with a cunning plan to ‘putt’ them ahead of the game – and the scheme is a fairway to massively reduce their electricity bills.
Founded in 1912, Gatley Golf Club has a proud history, but now the future is secured and they are going green after they rented out the clubhouse roof space for a solar array and investors are ensuring they pay no more than 6p per kilowatt hour for their electricity when the sun is in the sky.
Before the 200-member strong Cheshire club signed up for the 172 solar panels at their picturesque premises they were paying 11.4p per kilowatt hour – the savings over 25 years will be more than £220,000!
The club that has Tom Bolton, 32, as their PGA pro is believed to be the first in Cheshire to sign a free fit solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and as a result they now expect to be light years ahead of the opposition with their savings on electricity that should run to thousands of pounds every year.
Club treasurer Joe Huyton, a retired building project manager, was at first highly sceptical of the Green Energy Commercial deal that offered index-linked reduced rate electricity for more than 20 years.
Huyton, who is a dedicated member of the nine hole par 68 course and club, which has developed in recent years with a new 100 to 120 seater Centenary Suite, said: “Energy bills we all know are going through the roof and for a small club like this it was a major concern.
‘I was hunting around looking to get alternative suppliers to save a bit and then club captain Ray Cullen told us about Green Energy Commercial and their PPAs and to be honest it sounded too good to be true.
“In my business life I always felt there was no such thing as a free meal and this was a lot more than a free lunch. It was potentially massive savings – the equivalent of four or five new members joining the club every year.
“These free fit solar arrays are fantastic for sports clubs, but also brilliant for ordinary businesses. It’s a win, win situation and you don’t get many of those in golf let alone in life!”
For more information visit www.greenenergy commercial.com or email: info@gecommercial.co.uk