Stenhousemuir FC: Club launch ambitious energy plan to combat skyrocketing bills

Residents in Carse, Kinnaird & Tryst can vote for the Warriors’ ‘Net Zero Ochilview’ project online, with the closing date for entries this Friday.

Speaking exclusively to the Falkirk Herald, club chairman Iain McMenemy has revealed that the club has already paid out energy bills equivalent to a full year’s worth of energy in just the six months of their current financial year. This puts the Warriors on track to spend more than double their normal spend on energy.

He said: “In the same way that we’re all feeling the pressure at home with rocketing energy prices, the same is happening in businesses across Scotland. Football clubs are feeling particularly vulnerable as we tend to be high energy users for things like floodlight use during the autumn, winter and spring months.

“Although the UK Government released details of an energy cap for businesses, the devil is always in the detail and unfortunately, we didn’t meet the criteria, so we are completely at the mercy of the market and our current deal with our supplier.”

However, far from resting on their laurels, the League 2 club has developed a sustainable energy plan to tackle the issue.

At its core is a plan to install a renewable energy array at Ochilview Park, the ground that the Warriors have called home since 1890. The plan would see a phased introduction of solar and wind technologies, supported with a battery storage system. The long term aim would be for the club to not just become energy self-sufficient, but to generate more than they require with the surplus energy being redeployed into community use.

The club’s early thinking is that the excess energy could be used to supply the local gym which is currently loss-making and is under threat of closure. Other ideas include installing EV charging points with free or heavily discounted energy for locals, and an electric car & bike community rental scheme. The club’s main sponsor LOC Hire is fully on-board with the club’s green agenda.

The welfare, cabin and site storage business has launched a sister company called ECO Hire, and they are talking to the club about installing their products into the club facility. ECO Hire’s products are fully sustainable, use 100% renewable energy.

“This project might sound ambitious to some, but we believe it is essential for club’s like us to work harder on reducing our energy costs,” McMenemy added. “If there is anything positive to come out of the current energy crisis, then it’s perhaps that it has really focused us on thinking more about energy use and more importantly, energy reduction.

“In terms of funding, we are currently a finalist for Community Choices Funding support, this is a scheme run by Falkirk Council and the Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership to deliver a fund of over £3M to be invested in local community projects. The funding is earmarked for projects across all Falkirk Council wards and local residents have a say in which projects receive funding and where that money is spent.

“We’re therefore appealing to local residents in Carse, Kinnaird & Tryst ward to vote for us. Local support could get us an initial £140k worth of funding to kick-start this project.

“However, residents will need to be quick as voting closes this Friday. So this is a last minute appeal for local people to support us with this community project.

To support the Warriors and vote for their project, you can visit the link below. Voting is free of charge:

Vote for the project by clicking here.