Peter’s Food Services Ltd began in the 1950s with ‘Thomas Pies’, a small pie manufacturer in Merthyr Tydfil that provided highly sought after sausage rolls, pies and pasties to the Welsh valleys.
In 1976 the business, then known as Peter’s, moved to its current home in Caerphilly, just outside Cardiff. Today, the business is a household name and makes more than three million pastries every week, which are delivered nationwide to a variety of customers including local shops, supermarkets and stadiums. The company serves more than 13,500 customers each and every year; employs 850 people across the UK (with 680 of these employed at the Caerphilly site); and is one of the largest employers in the region. One of the UK’s largest distributors of cold meats, it has an annual turnover of £90 million; and has more than 900 product lines. With the site covering 14 acres and with refrigeration a major expenditure for the company, energy is always a boardroom talking point.
Richard Spencer, Head of Technical Services and Operations, npower Business Solutions (nBS), said: “The close collaboration between nBS and Peter’s Foods Services is essential to ensuring that we continue to add value to Peter’s.”
The brief
At the recommendation of the Peter’s Food Services Team board, its Energy Team approached nBS to identify and implement energy saving measures to reduce operational costs, and thus increase profitably for the business. The target for the reduction was a minimum of £64,000 (4% of the annual energy invoice) in the first year.
The method
nBS uses the latest innovations in cloud-based data analytics to help businesses monitor and control their energy in real-time.
Following a series of in-depth discussions, nBS developed a site audit which identified a number of technical and behavioural energy saving projects. A full sub-metering system (which included 44 new meters) was proposed and installed to monitor performance and identify further energy savings. Peter’s subsequently began a five year partnership with nBS in 2013 to reduce its ongoing energy consumption. Through the Energy Management Services (EMS) offering, resources were provided in the form of project management, technical expertise, data analysis, behaviour change initiatives, reporting and regular site visits.
The proprietary software, Intelligent Analytics, captures and stores energy usage data every half hour to identify potential inefficiencies on customers’ sites. The software provides the basis to enable significant energy reduction and has the capability to offer switch-off measures. The software is integral to nBS’s behavioural approach to energy management which is a unique aspect of its offering.
Specific measures include:
• Weekly key performance indicator (KPI) reporting and management (using energy analytics and spreadsheets). This includes the ability to monitor individual production line efficiency across the entire site
• Efficiency interventions related to the steam system, which includes boiler insulation, operation and steam leak repairs etc.
• Improvement and rationalisation of the site compressed air system, including heat recovery
• Identification and repair of water leaks
• Management and implementation of Air Handling Unit (AHU) optimisation
• LED lighting conversions
The outcome
Through this partnership, Peter’s Food Service Ltd made annual savings in excess of 15% and significantly improved energy awareness across the business, which helped to secure savings for the long-term. This achievement led to the partnership being shortlisted in the 2016 Energy Awards in the Energy Efficient Partnership of the Year category.
Why it worked
The partnership delivered and maintained savings by providing much needed expertise in the management and engagement of Peter’s Food Services’s own knowledgeable staff resource. This combined approach achieved tangible results, and will continue to ensure lasting financial benefits are delivered to the business for the future.
