Case Studies
Innovate Recycle
The client
Innovate Recycle recovers and recycles polypropylene (PP) from end-of-life carpet. With around 500,000 tonnes of carpet waste generated annually, most of it burned or landfilled, the company is tackling a significant environmental challenge.
Using proven technology from the US and Europe, Innovate Recycle has established the UK’s first dedicated carpet recycling plant in Northampton. The facility enables large-scale reclamation, supports carpet manufacturers in adopting sustainable practices and creates a forward market for high-quality recycled materials.
The project
Innovate Recycle operates energy-intensive production facilities, where electricity costs represent a significant operational expense. Like many manufacturers focused on production and quality, energy procurement was entrusted to their management team without any specialist oversight, assuming the most competitive rates were being secured.
Their insurance broker noticed anomalies in their energy bills during a routine review and recommended they seek specialist advice. They needed an expert who could unpick what had gone wrong with their energy contracts and, more importantly, prevent any further costly mistakes.
We began by examining their energy bills in detail. What we discovered was alarming. They were paying £683 per day in standing charges with a KVA allowance of 2 million kW, figures that bore no relation to their actual operational requirements. Worse still, they’d already signed into
a new contract, also at extortionate rates. The challenge was acting quickly to cancel the new contract, renegotiate more realistic supply parameters and secure a more competitive deal.
Our solution
We immediately prioritised cancelling the forthcoming contract before it became legally binding, preventing Innovative Recycle from being locked into another period of excessive costs.
Through extensive consultations with the client and their suppliers, we successfully negotiated the cancellation. We then conducted a thorough analysis of their actual energy consumption and requirements, demonstrating that their KVA allowance had been drastically overestimated. Armed with accurate usage data, we renegotiated their KVA allowance to realistic levels that matched their operational needs.
Finally, we secured a competitive one-year contract that delivered immediate, substantial savings while giving them flexibility to reassess their needs as their business evolves.
The impact
Our intervention saved Innovate Recycle thousands of pounds by correcting the flawed supply parameters and preventing them from entering another disadvantageous contract. The corrected KVA allowance alone eliminated the daily standing charge premium they’d been paying unnecessarily. Beyond the immediate savings, they’ve already asked us to quote for a two-year contract, starting in 2026.
Most significantly, as they plan to expand with two additional factories at different locations across the country, they have total faith in using us for these new facilities, ensuring their growth isn’t undermined by the same energy procurement mistakes that have cost them in the past.
“Our insurance broker spotted something unusual in our energy bills and recommended we speak to Top Utility Solutions. That recommendation saved our business from huge, unnecessary energy costs.
“When they examined our bills, they discovered we were paying over the odds for our standing charge, with a massively inflated KVA.
“They acted fast, cancelling our new contract, renegotiating our KVA to realistic levels, and securing a more competitive deal. The thousands we’re now saving make a real difference to the business.
“We’re expanding with two new factories soon, and there’s no question who we trust with the energy procurement. Their expertise and swift action have earned our complete confidence.”
Joseph Eccleston – CEO and founder, Innovate Recycle
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