A NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS businessman has secured a borough-wide investment in a local town, which will install his "pioneering" technology to slash energy bills and reduce the impact on the environment.
Keith Rimmer, an inventor, founder and chief executive of Thermocill, has partnered with Wigan Council to implement his device across social housing in the borough, aiming to drive the area's carbon footprint significantly down.
Thermocill, made entirely from recycled materials, is an eco-friendly device that is fitted to windowsills, designed to enable a room to heat up quicker while also reducing energy use.
The partnership is significant as Wigan becomes the first council in the UK to install such a device, at a time when the country is gearing up for next month's UN climate change conference in Glasgow and aiming to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
Keith's device - which has been scientifically proven by scientists at Salford Energy House and the University of Manchester - is set to be installed in 2,000 homes every year in the borough and will assist the council in reaching its goal to be net carbon neutral by 2035.
Keith, who lives in Newton-le-Willows, said: "We are delighted to announce our work with Wigan Council, which will see thousands of people benefit from warmer homes for lower energy costs. We have worked closely with the council to deliver this landmark order, which will contribute to the Wigan borough fulfilling its climate change strategy.
“We are now interested in linking up with other councils to help them explore the benefits of installing Thermocill in their properties.”
Highlighting another of Keith's green-focused inventions, the businessman's eco-friendly heating system, 'EcoPod' received him the Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Award for Cleantech and Energy and ‘Innovator Award’ at North West Business Masters Awards.
Paul Barton, director of environment at Wigan Council, said: “It was important for us to find a solution that would help us work towards our carbon reduction targets, while also bringing benefits to our tenants.
“Thermocill was a really good fit for us and our tenants, bringing the potential to reduce a tenant’s heating bill by 8%, which is significant given the pending rises in energy costs.
“There are huge benefits to the fabric of the property, the environment and the individual tenant so we feel it’s a no-brainer for us.”
Thermocill will be fitted as part of routine refurbishment work in the estimated 2,000 social houses in Wigan which become vacant each year.
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