Places for People embrace Pellenc battery power

Places for People, one of the UK’s largest property management companies, has reported a number of significant benefits since investing in a large fleet of Pellenc battery powered equipment.

Places for People has over 50 years’ experience in delivering and maintaining large-scale, multi-phased, mixed-tenure developments and regeneration projects. Their ethos is to create sustainable communities which people are proud to call home and that applies to every aspect – whether it be housing, green spaces or communal areas.

Places for People Landscapes responsible for the maintenance of properties and grounds from Newcastle in the North to Portsmouth in the South, Lowestoft in the East to Taunton in the West. The Landscapes team employ approximately 240 members of staff and the work is split equally between grounds maintenance and cleaning.

For the grounds maintenance side of the business, the landscapes team recently purchased a fleet of Pellenc battery powered equipment which included a range of Excelion 2000 brushcutters, Helion 2 Compact hedge trimmers, Helion Telescopic hedge trimmers, Airion 2 hand blowers, Selion polesaws powered by 1100 ultra-lithium batteries.

Gary Slater (North East), Julian Chapman (South) and Paul Hodgson (North West) are the three regional operations managers for Places for People Landscapes and they explained their reasons for choosing the Pelllenc equipment.

“I think there was probably three main driving factors in us choosing the Pellenc equipment,” says Julian. “There were the environmental benefits, the health and safety benefits, and the reduction in servicing and fuel costs.”

The exclusive Pellenc technology allows for a drastic reduction in the production of greenhouse gases and noise pollution. It is also comfortable for users, meets new sustainable development demands and offers excellent economic profitability. With a record capacity of up to one day’s use on a single charge, these quality products are a perfect fit for Places for People – according to Gary.

“I think for what we do – grounds, estate and garden maintenance, the Pellenc equipment is a great replacement for the petrol equipment. There are so many benefits to using battery powered products from an environmental and well-being point of view and it makes sense to move in that direction rather than stand still. In using the Pellenc equipment we are eliminating so many issues – there are no fumes which is great for our staff, we no longer have to carry fuel in our vans or be concerned with fuel leaks or spill kits and the equipment is extremely quiet. The kit is also nice and lightweight which is a huge benefit for manual handling,” he said.

“Then of course there is the enhanced productivity,” added Gary. “Firstly, we are saving time on not having to fill up the fuel cans and there are no problems or delays with having to start machinery – it folds away quickly and easily too. Also, the quietness of the equipment is great for some of our noise sensitive sites – so there is no stopping and starting and theoretically it means that our guys could start earlier on some sites. The rain doesn’t stop us either because the equipment is IP54 rated. In fact we’ve had them out in torrential rain and never had any problems.”

Commenting on the notable reduction in servicing costs, Paul said: “The traditional service and maintenance costs associated with petrol based products are far more than what you pay for the Pellenc equipment over a similar period of time. There is no doubt about it – running costs are substantially lower and it is something we have worked out very carefully, additionally we see minimal repair or servicing costs coming in and we don’t have any fuel costs. Yes, we use a bit of electricity to charge the battery but it has no impact at all.”

Since the Pellenc group was created in 1973, the company has based its development on a policy of constant innovation. The group’s ability to be able to anticipate changes in its markets has led to the registering of 1081 patents – winning numerous awards for the excellence of its products. While the products do indeed contribute towards protecting the environment, these innovative tools also do not compromise on power.

“I would say they are equal in performance to their petrol counterparts,” said Paul. “I’ve trialled the hedge cutters myself and they are just as good as petrol driven ones. Admittedly, some of our operatives were sceptical as to whether they would last a day but in actual fact they tend to last a day and a half before they need a charge.

“What I like about Pellenc, is the investment that they are making in the battery technology. It is new, it is the future, and I think everyone has to embrace it – the manufacturers, the importers, the dealers and the end user.”

All Pellenc batteries and tools come with a three-year commercial warranty and are distributed in the UK and Ireland exclusively by Etesia UK.