Cheshire-based Energy Saving Fund Begins Nationwide Expansion

WIDNES, U.K. - Jan. 26, 2014 - PRLog -- The Energy Saving Fund, a Cheshire-based not-for-profit organisation that is committed to offering householders an affordable route to home improvements that save energy, is about to go national with an ambitious expansion programme.

The 90 employee business, which has its head office in Widnes, has been providing energy saving grants to enable householders to install double-glazing, state-of-the-art heating boilers, solar panels, and roofing improvements over the past five years.

Now the ESF has established its first regional base in Derby, and plans a further ten regional offices  including Belfast and Glasgow, before reaching its target of funding £100 million worth of energy saving home improvements every year.

“Our aim is to make a real difference to the hard-pressed communities of this country and to create new jobs in the home improvement sector,” said ESF trustee and head of procurement Alan Holloway. “Over the past five years we have provided grants to families in various parts of the country to enable them to improve the energy efficiency of their homes but now we are determined to make the ESF a truly national service.

“What we have achieved so far has been done without any input from the Government or the taxpayer. By working closely with manufacturers and installers across the home improvements sectors we have negotiated deals which save the end-user significant sums of money, while at the same time providing valuable work for the industry and new jobs for our communities.”

In fact the ESF has generated so much work for the home improvements industry that major names, including Worcester Bosch and Marley, are co-operating with the expansion by ensuring qualified personnel will be available to undertake ESF work across the UK. By establishing a body called Alliance UK, they can now ensure suitable suppliers and installers are always on hand for ESF projects.

Furthermore, ESF has created a great many employment opportunities through Pro-Sell, an organisation which provides qualified advisors who explain how the funding works to members of the public.

Trustee and head of marketing Thomas Adams is the man who came up with the idea of the Energy Saving Fund. After a long career in the home improvements sector, he could see the impact of the tough economic conditions on his industry and had been giving some thought to ways of boosting business.

“We set off with a pilot project back in 2008 and before long we had a workable system in which everyone was a winner,” he explained, speaking from ESF’s Widnes HQ.  “Customers can expect to save up to a third of the cost of double glazing for instance, thanks to a grant. The manufacturers and installers benefit from new business which means they could offer me a discount. And all this new business has created increased demand for staff.”

Mr Holloway, a business development coach and business adviser joined the ESF two years ago and quickly identified its potential on the national stage.

“Tom had come up with a unique concept that had the potential of bringing huge benefits to people right across the UK at a time when many were finding life very challenging,” he explained. “I was delighted to be able to join him in planning the expansion of ESF to bring its benefits to the widest possible audience.”

“And that had been a priority of mine – the creation of new jobs in mid-recession,” added Thomas. “Now we’re actually taking the benefits of the ESF nationwide.”

 For further information about ESF click onto:www.energysavingfund.net