An award-winning vineyard has transformed its sustainable business practices, cutting costs and its carbon footprint, thanks to a local business support programme.
Astley Vineyard, located in the beautiful Severn Valley, took advantage of a free energy-saving review under the Net Zero Worcestershire Programme. Having implemented the review’s recommendations, Astley Vineyard was able to lower its electricity bill by replacing air-conditioning units with more efficient modern models and installing solar panels in its wine warehouse. As a result, the company has also raised its electrical equipment and machinery to a grade of ‘A’ or ‘B’.
Councillor Emma Stokes, Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Environment, said: “Supporting businesses in implementing low carbon practices can enable them to cut their carbon emissions whilst saving on energy costs.
“Astley Vineyard is a perfect example of how our business support grants can fuel innovation whilst enabling businesses to take on more sustainable practices. We are dedicated to investing in our county’s infrastructure and I would encourage all Worcestershire businesses to look into the grants that we have on offer.”
Tim Haywood, owner of Astley Vineyard, said: “Astley Vineyard’s energy costs have been transformed following support from Worcestershire County Council. We commissioned a free energy audit in 2022, and this identified the best action we could take was the installation of solar panels on top of our two warehouses. Funding from the Council was vital to making this happen. Together, with changes in our behaviours around energy usage, we have lowered our electricity bills in 2024 to less than half of those in 2022. The payback period for our investment will be much shorter than we anticipated. Overall, we are delighted!”
Click here to find out more about Worcestershire County Council’s business support programmes.
For more articles like this, visit our Sustainability channel
