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Robinson Brothers - Business Energy Advice Service - Case study
Learn how BEAS helped Robinson Brothers secure a match-funded grant to potentially save 322.59 tonnes CO2e and £140,700 of energy costs annually.
Learn how BEAS helped Robinson Brothers secure a match-funded grant to potentially save 322.59 tonnes CO2e and £140,700 of energy costs annually.
Robinson Brothers is a family-run manufacturer of speciality chemicals, operating from its original West Midlands site since 1869. Supplying global clients in pharmaceuticals, food, agriculture, and consumer goods, the business combines in-house R&D with full-scale production. As a regulated, energy-intensive operation, rising energy costs had a major impact: by 2023, bills reached £2.3
million a year – 16% of total manufacturing costs – placing it at a disadvantage to overseas competitors with lower rates.
By 2023, the company’s annual energy bill had soared to £2.3 million, accounting for 16% of its manufacturing costs – double the proportion just two years earlier. Competing with international producers benefitting from much cheaper energy, Robinson Brothers needed urgent solutions to safeguard its future and remain commercially viable.
By committing to the five projects identified through BEAS, Robinson Brothers expects to reduce energy use by 1.1GWh annually and
save £75,000 a year on energy costs. These upgrades represent a meaningful first step in the company’s long-term energy strategy.
The programme also provided a broader roadmap to support future decisions on decarbonisation and carbon tracking. Importantly, the
engagement allowed Robinson Brothers to maintain 24/7 operations throughout the audit, with no production disruption.
With funding matched 50:50 by the business and the UK government, Robinson Brothers has ringfenced its savings to reinvest in further reductions. This ongoing improvement is seen as key to both remaining globally competitive and meeting the expectations of major blue-chip customers.
The five projects are expected to reduce energy use by 1.1GWh and save £75,000 a year. All work was done without disrupting
operations, with matched funding helping accelerate return on investment (RoI). Robinson Brothers now uses real-time energy data
to guide further savings and has committed to reinvesting results into future improvements. The BEAS programme also provided
a long-term plan to help meet sustainability targets and improve competitiveness.