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BHESCo
Case study

Brighton and Hove Energy Services Co-operative

Brighton and Hove Energy Services Co-operative (BHESCo), implemented the use of ecargo bikes for home visits across Sussex.

Background

Brighton & Hove City Council leased 13 ecargo bikes to support local businesses in changing the way they deliver goods and services across the city. This is to help contribute to the goal of carbon neutral by 2030.

Brighton and Hove Energy Services Co-operative (BHESCo) is a not-for-profit social enterprise who complete home visits to assess what action can be taken to improve thermal comfort and cut energy costs across Sussex.

Their services include project consultation, onsite energy surveys, project management, including installation and performance, and fundraising. Before receiving the ecargo bike, BHESCo used a conventional push-bicycle and had to make two trips to every property. The first trip was to assess what would be required and the second to bring the relevant measures and to install them.

Process

BHESCo received impartial advice supplied from the Department for Transport (DFT) and Energy Saving Trust to help them select the best ecargo bike for their business needs.
The ecargo bike they chose was the TERN GSD S10 which included:

  • Front and rear racks offer a carrying capacity of 80kg
  • Interchangeable riding positions and heights make the bike accessible to the whole team
  • Dual battery option extends the bike’s range to cover the team’s longest rides

Storage available on it’s the ecargo bike rear end, taking up less space than a standard bike.

Results

As a result of using the ecargo bike, BHESCo has doubled the number of households they can assist. The other benefits they have seen include:

  • Cuts down on staff travel time
  • Allows the team to travel further
  • 80% of site visits can be completed by bike
  • Makes parking at sites easy

BHESCo team members say, “Our travel time between home visits has been massively reduced, even over all those Brighton hills!”.

BHESCo are working hard to take the next steps to create a net zero carbon city by 2030, helping residents, schools, and businesses to achieve greater energy efficiency.

Last updated: 16 May 2022