Carver Theatre Set the Stage to Reduce Their Heating & Energy Bills

The Carver Theatre is an amateur theatre that is situated on the outskirts of Stockport that hosts a wide range of performances and shows. The theatre consists of two different structures.

The oldest building is the ‘stone building’ which was originally constructed in 1841 as three dwelling houses and a bakery. It was converted to one house in the early 1870’s and became part of a recreation club in 1898. This building has 3 floors, the basement is used as dressing rooms, ground floor is the bar and library, the first floor is the members area with meeting room, rehearsal room and costumes/props room. Some of the walls are up to 18 inches thick.

The other building is the ‘wooden building’, the old recreation club gymnasium which was built in 1900. It is now the stage, auditorium, public entrance and toilet area. The seating was raked, in the 1970s, and a new stage was built in the late 1990s.

In 2013, Philip Kiernan, one of 20 active volunteers at the Carver Theatre, began researching for a building energy management system that ticked all their boxes. He found HeatingSave via. the internet and on checking what the system would do, knew it ticked all boxes for the Carver Theatre. 

When speaking to the HeatingSave reporter, Mr. Kiernan said he wanted to “try to make the heating more efficient.” He added, “our aim was to reduce the audience’s temperature complaints and to even it out so that the heating was on only when it was needed.” Before HeatingSave, the heating was on from 4pm until 11pm every day; an issue that they needed to address. 

“I didn’t consider anyone else,” Mr. Keirnan told the reporter when asked why he chose HeatingSave: “It was the low cost and that we could access the system remotely which is very important when you don’t live next door to the building.” He particularly liked that HeatingSave’s building energy management system allowed him to program 12+ months of shows in one go. 

Mr. Keirnan described the system training that he received as “very functional” to the HeatingSave reporter. 

When asked what he likes most about HeatingSave’s building energy management system, Mr. Kiernan replied, “it’s a combination. It’s being able to set up a diary of heating plans that I can apply quickly so I can build a series of days very quickly but also the fact that I can do it from home and that I don’t have to go on site. I just let the system run itself, which is the beauty for us.”

The HeatingSave Helpdesk also has an online, non-verbal system that “allows me to drop the non-urgent queries when the system’s running and I have a query about it or if I need something doing,” he said.  

In 2016, Theatre management wanted to extend the Carver Theatre’s building management system and to add extra heating zones within the building. They did this by easily installing HeatingSave thermostatic radiator valves with wired heads to allow additional areas within the theatre to be heated at separate times. 

Mr. Keirnan was very impressed with the level of service he received from HeatingSave’s Operational department: “2019 we had to have the line server repaired but I posted it down to you and it was fixed and returned and I had it back in operation within 7 days, which didn’t matter because the HeatingSave controllers were still running the heating system perfectly.”

When asked if he would recommend HeatingSave to other theatres and organisations, Mr. Kiernan replied, “yes I would. If somebody asked me how Carver Theatre runs its heating I would show them the HeatingSave system we have installed.”

Summing up HeatingSave’s building energy management system, Mr. Kiernan responded: “It’s a standalone system that you can easily get remote access to and that gives you multiple options for how to control different areas of your building.”

Customer Information

Carver Theatre
1 Chadwick Street
Marple
Cheshire
SK6 7AX

Website: carvertheatre.co.uk
Phone: 01614 273183
Email: secretary@carvertheatre.co.uk