Thomas Dudley
Match-funded grant of £100,000 secured to reduce energy use and carbon emissions across operations
Client Summary
Thomas Dudley is a 100 year old family run company incorporating a number of businesses that focus on designing, developing, manufacturing and selling specific products to suit customer needs. They have been manufacturing in the UK since the company’s inception in 1920. By the 1950s, the foundry was producing a wide range of products including cast iron WC cisterns. However, following a number of harsh winters, they began manufacturing frost-resistant, heavy-duty rubber cisterns. This move paved the way for the plastics division which started to manufacture plastic injection moulded models shortly afterwards. As the foundry expanded, they invested heavily in mechanised plant and installed seven automated moulding lines between 1966 and 1988.
Between 1969 and 1971, a new building was also erected to house the plastics division and their existing office block was completed.
Manufacturing excellence, made in the Black Country
Thomas Dudley is a fourth-generation manufacturer based in the West Midlands. The group’s five companies serve the construction sector, with a focus on foundry components and plastic plumbing systems. With 95% of products made in-house, the business is committed to UK manufacturing, local employment, and long-term sustainability.
Getting smart about savings
Amid rising energy costs, the company faced an urgent need to reduce energy use across its energy-intensive plastic moulding division. As part of its broader net-zero strategy, Thomas Dudley joined the Business Energy Advice Service to identify the most effective actions to support its goals.
Pro Enviro conducted a full audit of the company’s plastics operations. With 36 injection moulding machines running daily, energy demand was high and variable. The audit highlighted five clear opportunities: upgrading heating systems, replacing fluorescent lighting, optimising compressor use, repairing air leaks, and replacing two older hydraulic moulding machines with energyefficient servo-driven models.
The data revealed excessive energy use during evenings and weekends, prompting behaviour change across the workforce. Maintenance teams and operators were retrained to shut off equipment properly and take responsibility for energy monitoring. A new online portal visualised live data, helping the team spot inefficiencies and act fast.
With guidance from Pro Enviro, Thomas Dudley submitted a grant application for matched funding to support delivery of the upgrades. They are now awaiting approval for a £100,000 grant toward the £400,000 investment.
More competitive, more sustainable
The planned upgrades are forecast to reduce energy usage by over 770,000kWh annually and cut carbon emissions by 156 tonnes. That’s an estimated saving of £85,000 per year, helping to bring the payback period down and justify further investments.
Longer term, the savings will support reinvestment in automation, training, and product development – critical steps to keep Thomas Dudley competitive in global markets. The success of the plastics division has already encouraged the company to roll out energy assessments across other group businesses.