Croesyceiliog Cricket Club – A sustainability journey that cut energy use and costs

Croesyceiliog Cricket Club set out to become a greener, more financially resilient community club. Like many grassroots sports organisations, the club’s energy use had simply become ‘part of the background’ until an energy-saving audit, arranged through Cricket Wales, showed just how much could be improved through simple changes and targeted investment.

The outcome has been a sustainability journey that delivered immediate ‘quick wins’, unlocked grant support for major upgrades, and generated substantial savings that can now be reinvested back into the club and the wider community.

Before being invited by Victoria Jones, Facilities Lead at Cricket Wales to take part in the sustainability pilot, the club had limited awareness of how much energy could be saved. The audit provided a clear, detailed report highlighting areas for improvement and practical opportunities to reduce costs. Crucially, it gave the committee confidence to act quickly and plan larger projects, because decisions were backed by evidence rather than guesswork.

As soon as the report was received, the club implemented a number of quick wins. A standout action was installing timers on all bottle fridges. This simple change cost £80 for six timers and is estimated to save around £600 per year.

Other low-cost efficiency improvements recommended in the report and implemented by the club included:

• Moving the thermostat away from a heat source (improving heating control accuracy)
• Lagging exposed pipes (reducing heat loss)
• Installing a “boost button” in the function rooms to control heating more efficiently and avoid heating spaces unnecessarily

The report also highlighted a major issue in one cellar where the boiler was positioned next to the cooling system, causing the cooling system to overwork and waste energy. This was an important turning point, demonstrating that some of the biggest savings come from addressing underlying system inefficiencies not only from changing day-to-day behaviours.

Following the report, the club implemented larger recommendations, including:

• Ceiling/roof-space insulation
• Upgrading to LED lighting throughout the club
• Installing solar panels with battery storage

Cricket Wales also informed the club about the Sport Wales Energy Saving Grant. After a successful application obtaining £19,660.00, the club installed solar panels and storage batteries. These upgrades have already saved the club approximately £9,000 in the first 10 months.

Alongside Sport Wales support, the club secured further backing to deliver building efficiency improvements:

• Torfaen County Borough Council supported the club with a grant to insulate the roof space, reducing energy costs and improving comfort.
• The club also received £10,000 from the ECB County Grant Fund under ‘Tackling Climate Change’, which also supported the roof insulation project.

The roof insulation has delivered benefits beyond energy savings. Previously, the roof space could become too hot during summer months, making it unsuitable for community sessions such as yoga and dance. The improvement will make the space more comfortable and usable, helping the club serve the wider community year-round.

The results are already substantial:

• £600 per year estimated savings from fridge timers alone
• £9,000 saved in 10 months following solar + battery installation
• Further long-term reductions expected through LED lighting and roof insulation
• Improved comfort and usability of club spaces, supporting more community activity and potential revenue opportunities

Most importantly, the money saved can now be reinvested back into the club helping improve facilities, grow participation, and expand what the club can offer to members and the local community.

“We’d like to thank Cricket Wales, more so Victoria Jones for leading this initiative, as well as Sport Wales, England and Wales Cricket Board and Torfaen Borough Council for their incredible support. Not only has this helped us reduce our carbon footprint, but it has also saved us a significant amount of money that we can reinvest into the facility. This ensures a long-term, sustainable, and greener future for our club. We’re thrilled to have made such a big impact in such a short space of time.” Adrian Webber, Club Chair

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