Производитель колбас HECK! сократил энергопотребление на 14% после внедрения цифровой системы управления

A Well-known North Yorkshire sausage-maker has cut its energy consumption across monitored assets by around 14 per cent after installing a new digital Energy Management System (EMS). HECK!, based in Bedale, North Yorkshire, produces premium sausages, burgers, mince, and meatballs. The company invested in the technology with support from Made Smarter Yorkshire after rising electricity prices nearly tripled its energy bills. James Ashford, head of procurement at HECK!, said: "Made Smarter removed a significant amount of risk, made the investment much easier to justify, and gave us the confidence to move forward." HECK!, founded by Debbie and Andrew Keeble in 2013, has grown into a national brand supplying major retailers across the UK. RECOMMENDED READING: - North Yorkshire's HECK! launches chicken Cumberland sausage - HECK! reports sales success for its 'Brides Lucky Sausage' - Made Smarter Yorkshire helps two York manufacturers - Made Smarter Yorkshire to help firms on cyber security The company produces more than one million sausages daily and operates seven days a week to meet demand. Despite heavy investment in automation, the business still relied on spreadsheets and legacy software, limiting its ability to manage energy use effectively. With energy costs soaring, HECK! identified the need for better insight into where electricity was being consumed. Working with Made Smarter, the company developed a Digital Roadmap and secured a £20,000 grant towards a £44,000 EMS. The system monitors energy use across factory assets in real time, providing detailed visibility into consumption and highlighting areas for improvement. The EMS uses Best Energy’s monitoring platform, which analyses equipment performance and alerts staff to unusual energy use or equipment behaviour. This data has already enabled HECK! to monitor around half of its manufacturing assets and achieve a 14 per cent reduction in energy consumption across those areas. The insights have led to targeted investments, including a £60,000 advanced refrigeration optimisation system. The new system controls cooling based on product temperature rather than air temperature, significantly reducing compressor energy use. HECK! also optimised its industrial bin washer, cutting operating temperatures from around 90°C to 55°C while maintaining hygiene standards. The monitoring platform has also improved factory planning by showing electrical capacity across the site, helping to avoid overloads and unplanned downtime. It supports preventative maintenance by flagging unexpected increases in power use that could indicate developing mechanical faults. Looking ahead, HECK! is implementing a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to connect operational data and create a single source of truth across the business. The company also plans to explore agentic AI tools to make business data more accessible for employees and to offer personalised digital services for customers. Mr Ashford said: "The key is getting the foundations right first. "Once you’ve got that foundation, everything else becomes possible."