Raven Hall - Lighting up the Cleveland Way

As walkers enjoying the coastal walk between Scarborough and Whitby pass the imposing Raven Hall Country House Hotel and Golf Course, they could be forgiven for thinking that the glittering chandeliers in the function rooms must be sending the hotel's energy bills through the roof.

That used to be so true. It was a bit like 'the Forth Bridge when it came to light bulb replacement, as soon as you finish one replacement round of bulbs then another started. Recently there have been some changes at the hotel however, particularly where lighting is concerned.

When Managing Director, Clive Rowe-Evans discovered the York and North Yorkshire Business Environmental Forum (YNYBEF) grant, he wanted to see if the lighting could be replaced with energy efficient bulbs without sacrificing the attractive interior design of the hotel, and without compromising health and safety.

Through discussing these concerns with the Business Environmental Co-ordinator from the Forum, he was able to find specialist low energy bulb suppliers who provided light bulbs suitable for their style of the chandelier.

This gave the hotel the confidence to upgrade their whole lighting system to adopt sustainable, long lasting light bulbs.

'The Business Environmental Co-ordinator was very helpful and knowledgeable on the whole subject of energy efficient lighting. We didn't know if it could be done and how it could be done. She made the whole process easy for us and it has proven a great success' said Clive 'we are well on the way to reducing our carbon footprint'.

YNYBEF provides an Environmental Technology grant funding through the 'Implementing Environmental Best Practice' scheme. The grant scheme enabled eligible businesses to access up to £1500 of 50% match funding to make recommended energy efficiency improvements and install energy efficient technologies including condensing boilers, insulation, low energy lighting and water control equipment.

The YNYBEF funding programme is supported by the European Regional Development Fund and Yorkshire Forward, and is managed by Business Link York and North Yorkshire.

For further information contact the Business Environmental Forum on 01904 554541.