After being a nurse for 14 years I fancied a new challenge, so I went to University to study engineering. I fell into energy management by accident – I happened to be around when the electricity market deregulated in 1994. The data was amazing!

I set up the energy management function at McDonalds Restaurants, moving on to do the same at Woolworths,BHS and Nandos.

This involved :

• finding the sites (five different lists from different functions!) aligning them with the invoices.
• Setting up a bill validation bureau\
• Creating benchmarks
• Investigating anomalies ( I found Woolworths were being charge for the water at 100 public toilets!)
• Engaging employees – possibly the hardest part of the job but the most rewarding.

Achievements

Reducing the gas consumption at one site by 60% by addressing an long standing heating issue

Reducing the energy consumption at another site by 50% by reconfiguring the controls, when others were adamant we were supply the flats upstairs

Getting a £250k rebate when I discovered we were paying for the entire block of flats at 4 other restaurants

Project managing the installation of 250 gas AMR devices and the inherent issues arising