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Electricity costs are increasing fast - you don’t need us to tell you that! First Milk Direct is doing all we can to keep them in check.

Passing on hints and tips to help you do the same, is all part of the service.

Using two meters instead of one is a way to trim costs. Many will have heard of Economy 7 and understand that using electricity at night on a dual meter system is cheaper than using it during the day. And the same is true for the farm.

Currently, electricity purchased through FM Direct on the night rate, between 12.00 midnight and 7.00am, is around 40% cheaper than it is on the day rate. Capitalising on this will save significant sums for First Milk members, says FM Direct’s Neil Pullar, but calculating it is extremely difficult.

However, FM Direct’s energy consultants, Inenco, can provide all the support and experience members require. Any member who supplies basic information to Inenco can have the expected savings calculated. Different supply companies, regions and even meters all have varying price differentials between the night and day tariff but Inenco have the expertise to deal with these variances. Night rate hours, however, are standard, which means farmers can capitalise on cheaper electricity to build up the parlour’s ice bank and, for at least some, of the early morning milking.
Carol and David Galbraith, who milk 70 Ayrshires at Sunny Bank, Grayrigg, Kendal, Cumbria have been on dual meters for around 20 years.

“On current rates, I believe the farm is around £900 a year better off. I estimate the electricity bill for the farm would cost around £3700 on a single meter, compared to £2800 on a dual meter system,” explained Neil Pullar.

Carol milks between 05.45 to 07.45, and from 16.30 to 18.00, and cools the milk on a typical ice bank system. She reckons there is nothing elsewhere that would make the farm excessively power-hungry over other farms of that size.<

“There is no reason why other farms of a similar size to Carol’s should not generate the same type of savings,” explained Neil.

For further details or analysis of how much can be saved or how to proceed with changing meters, please contact Inenco on the dedicated First Milk members helpline 0845 454 0191.