Whitlock & Lowe Ltd: Reduced Energy Use and Boosted Sustainability
At a Glance:
Company: Whitlock & Lowe Ltd
Location: South Staffordshire
Activity: Creating quality buildings from conception to installation
Support: Free Energy Assessment, and Low Carbon Grant
Recommendation: Installation of 427.7 Solar PV Array
Staffordshire Supplier: Insolation Solar Ltd
Project Cost: £129,336
Grant: £50,000
Savings – £ / yr: 33,203
Savings – kWh / yr: 163,620
Savings – CO2 tonnes / yr: 33.88
Payback Period (without Grant) / yr: 3.8
Overview
Whitlock & Lowe Ltd, a company based in South Staffordshire creating quality buildings with exceptional craftsmanship from conception to installation, have been successful in securing a £50,000 grant towards installing Solar PV Array and cutting energy bills.
In July 2024, they had their site reviewed to highlight areas where they would be able to reduce energy costs. One month later, their Energy Assessment report was completed, which presented recommendations on how the business could improve their energy efficiency.
Hear Their Story
Hear their thoughts on having an Energy Assessment:
“We had some initial problems and delays which meant we had to reapply, but when we dealt with Lisa, from Staffordshire County Council, it was simple and efficient.”
Would you recommend an Energy Assessment to another business?
“Absolutely, if you’ve got a new or old manufacturing facility an energy assessment can outline what your costs are and what is causing them to be high, they (the energy assessors, Pro Enviro) will then help to look at a solution. With our factory unit being built in 2022, solar panels were our only major upgrade, it’s early days but we’re hoping to see the returns in the years ahead.”
Based on the Energy Assessment recommendations Whitlock & Lowe Ltd decided to apply for grant funding to install a 427.7kWh Solar PV Array.
The application process took just 2 months to complete. Here is what Whitlock & Lowe Ltd has to say about the process:
“The grant application was very straightforward – Lisa guided us through every step and responded quickly and professionally to any questions we had.
‘The only advice I would outline to people looking at the grant for solar is to start early as the application to the District Network Operator (DNO) for permission to connect can take a while – for us it was over 8 weeks and without this you won’t know whether it’s possible to install solar panels.”
Gaining Massive Savings
The £50,000 grant funding was agreed for a £129,336 project, which is estimated to save the business £33,203 and 163,620 kWh per year, reducing their carbon output by 33.88 tonnes per year!
Hear their thoughts about how the new Solar PV Array will help their business:
“The solar panels installed will help futureproof our business against the endless rising costs of electricity. Without the grant aid the project wouldn’t have been financially appealing, the outweigh to the return on investment would have been too long where the cash flow could have been used on other investments.”
One Month In
It has been roughly one month since your installation in December 2025, what have your savings been like so far?
“It’s early days and the weather hasn’t been the best, with the shortest amount of sunlight, but for the first full month being January, we’re looking to have saved around £1,700 off our energy bill.”
Thank you to Whitlock & Lowe Ltd for sharing their thoughts and experience with our Energy Assessment and Grant Funding Scheme.
You can also learn more about Whitlock & Lowe’s efforts in their Sustainable and Ecological journey here: Sustainability & Ecology – Prime Oak – Bespoke Oak Framed Buildings
Find out more
If you would like to look into our funding options then check out our sben Funding & Support page; or, join our sben membership for free and stay updated with funding opportunities and other possibilities through our monthly newsletter.
