"Selecting an Energy Consultant Partner"

Established in 1957, it is now over half a century since Hazeldene's Chicken Farm produced and hatched its first egg. Since that first egg, this family owned business has grown into one of Australia's only truly fully integrated regional poultry processors with over 500 employees servicing Australia's poultry requirements.

With growth comes responsibility and Hazeldene's is now one of the largest businesses in the Bendigo area. With this dramatic business growth, Hazeldene's Chicken Farm required the assistance of an energy consultancy firm to assist with optimizing the electrical infrastructure and improving the overall energy efficiency of the Chicken Farm operation.

Peter Hazeldene, Director, contacted Utilacor Energy Management Consultants for assistance after trying unsuccessfully to reduce Hazeldenes capital contribution towards an electrical distribution augmentation project with his local Electrical Distributor.

Peter Hazeldene: "We were going to accept a quote for a major extension of electrical infrastructure to the Bendigo new breeding operation; the extension involved kilometers of new poles and wires and the price for the work had virtually doubled in a couple of years"

Peter, in partnership with a local business, had been investigating the cost of augmenting and extending the electrical distribution grid to encompass a new supply to both the quarry that was running on diesel generators, and for Hazeldene's new breeding site. The original estimate seemed reasonable but when a firm quotation was requested, the cost to Hazeldenes had doubled.

After speaking with Peter, visiting the site and examining the augmentation plans, Utilacor began negotiations with the Electrical Distributor on Peter's behalf and were successful in reducing Hazeldenes capital contribution by approximately 47%.

Peter has since contracted Utilacor for their comprehensive Energy Management Service to improve the energy efficiency of Hazeldene's 17 sites realising further ongoing savings across the portfolio.

"Utilacor's proven track record having reduced the cost of the new connection made it an easy decision for me to employ them as our Energy Management Consultant. Utilacor is now monitoring and helping to reduce the costs of the day to day energy consumption of the business." Peter Hazeldene, Director, Hazeldene's Chicken Farm.