Latest news with #Paisley-based
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Why Greener Energy Group "promise" to save you money on your heating
Now in its eleventh year, Paisley-based Greener Energy Group takes a complex subject and turns it into a very simple proposition: installations only proceed when they are calculated to be 100 per cent right for a customer's home and personal needs. Compliance manager Munro Grierson, who heads up training and compliance, is part of a team of experts who travel the length and breadth of Scotland to visit customers and understand how they live in their home, what they do, and what their concerns and aims are. 'We follow this up with lots of calculations, including technical surveys and heat calculations, to gauge precisely what every individual home needs,' he explains. Nor does it stop there. The company has an exceptional after-sales service and follows up customers to ensure they are on the right tariffs – and can benefit from the best tariffs and deals through partnerships Greener Energy Group has with Octopus, HIVE and others. 'Five years ago, most customers were motivated to change to greener alternatives for environmental reasons,' says Grierson. 'But the hike in the cost of electricity has had a huge impact and switched the focus to reducing energy bills, so green doesn't win votes anymore. However, I can promise customers we will save them money on their heating bills – and in addition they will also be helping the planet by reducing their carbon footprint. With today's renewables you can do it all.' The industry has also changed dramatically. 'What makes a difference is being able to help customers ensure they are on the right tariff. The award-winning product range we use is more advanced and because of battery intelligence, it can tell when you can save energy, when to use it, and when it can sell some back and help boost the grid, while heat pumps are more powerful and now use cleaner, natural refrigerants.' While the renewable energy sector has become much more sophisticated, old myths still abound and much of the information made public is not true, much to Grierson's frustration. 'There is still a lot of misinformation in the media,' he says. 'However, the wrong products will not deliver the best results, so when people say a heat pump is not effective, likely it was not the right solution to begin with. The reason we do heat calculations so precisely is to ensure the right heat pump is installed for that home.' (Image: Greener Energy Group) He continues: 'Batteries, which are located externally and are subject to stringent safety regulations, need to be used much more as they work in tandem with solar to provide free power. The latest batteries can use smart tariffs to buy electricity when demand is low to use when it is high – and sell it back to the grid to make profit. While the technology will continue to develop and products will become more powerful and efficient, with batteries the most exciting innovation is smart intelligence, which stores energy, sets your heating schedules and responds to demand to help smart grids optimize the use of energy.' For most people, accessing renewable energy products is entirely dependent on government incentives such as grant funding and loans. Currently the government offers a grant of £7,500 to qualifying homes for a heat pump installation. In addition, there is also a £7,500 interest-free loan scheme. 'These incentives are vital, yet paradoxically, the funding application process in Scotland is unnecessarily time-consuming and so bureaucratic it scares people off,' says Grierson. To overcome this, Greener Energy Group has a team dedicated solely to going through the application process with customers from start to finish. The company also offers credit facilities with interest-free funding on selective products. Born and brought up in the Scottish Highlands, Grierson studied environmental architecture at Aberdeen University prior to working for one of the major energy companies in England. His encyclopaedic knowledge is matched by a genuine passion, the latter almost palpable. 'I have an eight-year-old daughter, so my main motivation is to help give our children and grandchildren a better world to live in,' he says. 'That said, my greatest inspiration is our customers - and nothing beats the buzz from a great customer review.' (Greener Energy Group has a five-star Trustpilot rating.) 'This is an exciting, innovative and fast-moving industry and our aim is to reach out to as many people as possible and ensure they have the best products to take full advantage of the technology available to save money – and benefit the planet.'
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow Airport news, interviews and updates
The airport, opened in 1966, carries more than seven million passengers a year. A £3.7million work is underway to revamp the Paisley-based airport which will include two new restaurants. (Image: Newsquest) Glasgow Airport is owned and operated by AGS Airports. Read on for all the latest Glasgow Airport news, interviews and updates. Latest Glasgow Airport news As reported by the Glasgow Times, here is a selection of the latest Glasgow Airport news stories. Glasgow Airport strike: Everything we know so far Holidaymakers warned ahead of summer strike action at Glasgow Airport Airline launches new route from Glasgow to coastal surf spot Glasgow Airport arrivals and departures All arrival and departure information can be found here. Parking at Glasgow Airport and prices Glasgow Airport has a couple of parking options, each priced according to the length of your stay. The Short Stay/Multi-Storey car park is just a three-minute walk from the terminal and costs between £8 and £60 for up to 24 hours. (Image: Colin Mearns) Priority Parking is the airport's most exclusive option, located only two minutes from the terminal to provide maximum convenience. For ultimate ease, the airport's official Valet Parking service starts from £9.99 per day (based on an eight-day booking). Long Stay parking offers a budget-friendly solution just an eight-minute walk from the terminal. It's free for the first hour, costs £80 for up to three days, and £15 for each additional day. Mid-Stay parking combines convenience and value, with the Sanderling Road site just a covered five-minute walk from the terminal. Are there hotels near the airport with a shuttle? The Normandy runs a free shuttle service to Glasgow Airport (about a six-minute journey) on demand. Guests have to pre-book seats for the Airport Shuttle in advance of arrival. Premier Inn, too, provides a complimentary shuttle from the car park to the terminal. Is there a lounge at Glasgow Airport? Glasgow Airport has three public lounges plus dedicated airline lounges. The Lomond Lounge and UpperDeck Lounge are the two public lounges airside, each allowing a maximum three-hour stay, complimentary Wi-Fi, snacks and up to four alcoholic drinks per visit. The British Airways Lounge and Emirates Lounge are on the first-floor Central Pier and West Pier, respectively. Pick up and drop off at Glasgow Airport The airport has express pick-up and drop-off zones outside the main terminal. Stays of up to 15 minutes incur a £6 charge, while anyone needing to stay longer is advised to use the Short Stay car park—exiting beyond 15 minutes will attract a premium fee. Hiring a car at Glasgow Airport Glasgow Airport has a dedicated Car Rental Centre adjacent to the main terminal building. You can find providers like Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar Thrifty, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National, and Sixt. Bus to Glasgow Airport The First Bus Service 500 (Glasgow Airport Express) runs 24 hours a day, every 10 minutes, with a journey time of about 15 minutes between Buchanan Bus Station (stance 46) and Glasgow Airport (stance 1). (Image: Newsquest) McGill's Service 757 links Paisley Gilmour Street station (and Clydebank) with the airport, departing roughly hourly from early morning until late evening. There are no direct trains or subways, so these two bus routes are your main public transport options. Buses from Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh Airport Scottish Citylink's AIR service runs a 24-hour shuttle up to every 20 minutes, getting you between the two airports in about an hour. The Citylink 902 Coach operates every hour between Glasgow and Edinburgh Airport. Where is the taxi rank at Glasgow Airport? The official taxi rank at Glasgow Airport is located immediately outside the main terminal building, on the ground-floor forecourt just beyond the arrivals exit. (Image: Newsquest) You will find only the fleet of licensed (white) Renfrewshire Council taxis here. If you have booked a private taxi, like an Uber, for example, the company will assign a specific pick-up point. Where can I eat at Glasgow Airport? Among the options are Bird & Signet, Caledonia Bar & Restaurant, Pret A Manger, The Spinning Jenny, Beardmore Bar & Kitchen, Tennent's Pier Bar, and Starbucks. To find out more, go to the Glasgow Airport website.
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Trade union in talks with Paisley charity Kibble following claims of "financial crisis"
The organisation told staff of the challenges being faced as it sought to downgrade their pay and working conditions. Kibble Education and Care Centre has told employees it is in 'financial crisis' days after confirming it spent tens of thousands of pounds on a defamation case. The Paisley-based charity told staff of its financial challenges as it sought to downgrade their pay and working conditions. The news was delivered just days after Kibble confirmed it had covered the legal fees of two of its employees, Jim Gillespie and Mark MacMillan, who launched a defamation case against Alan Wardrop. Judge Lord Clark last week accepted that Mr Wardrop's accusation that the pair – Kibble's representatives on the board of St Mirren FC – had covered up a secret plan to build a wellbeing centre on club-own land was defamatory. But their claim for damages was dismissed as Lord Clark said he believed that Mr Wardrop's comments were in the public interest and were honestly held based on the evidence he had at the time – both defences under the Scottish law around defamation damages. Within days of the case being dismissed, Kibble employees were issued with a letter stating the rate of pay for overtime was being reduced; the notice period was being extended to eight weeks; and, further, that staff would no longer be afforded sick pay if they were signed off ill within that eight-week period. Unison, the trade union which represents staff at the children's charity, told the Express: 'Earlier this year, Unison was called to a meeting with members of Kibble management who advised that they are in significant financial crisis and that they are struggling to retain staff. 'Assurances were given that [the proposed changes] would not be enacted without trade union agreement and following member consultation. Despite this, management have proceeded to implement changes and no further discussion has taken place with the trade union.' Unison had threatened strike action at the Goudie Street facility but a planned ballot was suspended at the eleventh hour when Kibble agreed to resume talks with the union. Mark Ferguson, Renfrewshire branch secretary of Unison Scotland, said Kibble had withdrawn the disputed changes to members' terms and conditions. He said: 'On the back of this development, Unison has agreed to postpone its ballot of members and will engage in further discussion with Kibble management – hopefully this will result in a successful negotiated agreement.' A spokesperson for Kibble said: 'We place a great deal of value on our long-standing relationship with Unison and are committed to reaching a mutually agreeable solution to this issue. Discussions are ongoing and we expect the matter to be resolved to everyone's satisfaction in the near future.'
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Scots accountancy chief reveals acquisition plans for Azets
He disclosed the ambition in an exclusive interview with The Herald, in which he underlined the difficulties which the current economic uncertainty was causing clients. Business owners are looking to the firm for advice on how to manage challenges such as the recent rise in employer national insurance contributions and forthcoming changes to inheritance tax against a shifting macroeconomic backdrop that has been rocked by Trump tariffs and geopolitical tensions. The Scottish part of Azets began to take shape in 2017, when Scots accountancy firms Campbell Dallas and Springfords became part of Staffordshire-based Baldwins, which in turn was part of the Cogital Group. Campbell Dallas then merged with long-established Scots accountancy firm Scott Moncrieff under the Cogital umbrella, before Cogital was subsequently rebranded as Azets in 2020. Azets has a presence across the Nordics. Mr Gallanagh had been a partner at Campbell Dallas for nearly 20 years before its acquisition by Azets. Speaking in the Azets office in Braehead, he said the firm's growth over recent years has been powered by a flurry of acquisitions, with turnover on course to reach £330 million in the current financial year. He said the firm will continue to assess potential deals but will be more selective in terms of targets. The most recent deal struck by the firm in Scotland was the acquisition of Paisley-based Milne Craig in August. The acquisition saw more than 90 staff join Azets, lifting the number of people employed at its Braehead base to 320. Read more: Mr Gallanagh, who has been Azets' UK chief executive since 2022, said: 'We are very choosy now on how we acquire. The marketplace is, from a consolidation perspective, getting significantly harder. At one point, we were the only private equity supported firm and now there's about 50 supported in the private equity space. It is getting harder to acquire good businesses, but we are very conscious that we bought some businesses at the outset… that maybe aren't businesses that we would buy now. And we have made some wonderful acquisitions in recent years.' He said that Azets will now only acquire firms that have the potential to enhance its offer or fill a 'geographical white space that we have, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where we are looking at'. Mr Gallanagh declared: 'If you look at the East Anglia side of the UK, you have got a big white gap in there. We are under-represented in London and Birmingham, and we can do a lot more in Manchester, and even in Scotland. There are spaces in Scotland we want to do more. 'We are in discussions with some firms in London and have one in the east side of England. We would be hopeful that we could conclude that before the end of June.' He added: 'It is no longer about just buying businesses for the sake of buying businesses – it is ensuring that they are adding value to what we have and most importantly that their culture is aligned to ours. A lot of our time is spent now on the culture of the business before we acquire, which is really, really key.' Asked to gauge sentiment among the firm's client base, Mr Gallanagh the uncertainty caused by global events and macroeconomic headwinds, including US tariffs, is 'causing concern pretty much across the board'. He said: 'It is across the whole of business, it is not in any particular sector. That uncertainty brings a real nervousness for people. I think the second thing is the changes in tax – the increase in national insurance [and] increase in the living wage which are putting a strain on already strained businesses.' Read more: This pressure has led firms to cut costs, including ESG (environmental, social and governance) and marketing spending, while investment plans are being held back because of changes to agricultural property and business property relief. These changes are part of reforms by the UK Government to raise more money from inheritance tax (IHT). Greig McKnight, Azets' regional managing director for Scotland, said: 'The changing tax environment is on all our clients' minds. Peter referenced the IHT impact – suddenly a lot of business owners have got a change in the landscape. The business property relief is being taken away, so they have got potentially a 20% IHT liability. That is impacting almost all of our clients and that has a knock-on effect on the decisions that they take.' Mr Gallanagh said the IHT changes are seeing family firms 'bringing forward conversations' around inheritance tax, when previously the issue may not have been discussed, in some cases until it was too late. He said: 'Now those conversations can happen up front. We would rather have them upfront without a 20% tax cloud hanging over our heads, but hopefully in the longer term a lot of businesses will have better succession planning in place.'
Daily Record
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Lifeline Paisley charity marks National Volunteers' Week
Paisley Buddies who dedicate hours of their time to the Star Project took part in the Rhythm to a T session to celebrate National Volunteers' Week. A message of solidarity sounded loud and clear last week as anti-poverty volunteers took part in a drumming session. Paisley Buddies who dedicate hours of their time to the Star Project took part in the Rhythm to a T session to celebrate National Volunteers' Week. An incredible 60 volunteers pledged 6,420 hours, or 917 working days, of their time to the Paisley charity in 2024, bolstering the charity's ability to build a resilient community in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis. Star hosted an afternoon of celebration and gratitude last Thursday to recognise the phenomenal contribution people make to their lifeline projects. Volunteers had the opportunity to spend time together and share in the incredible session offered by Rhythm to a T, a Paisley-based drumming facilitator that runs drumming groups specifically to help with mental health and wellbeing. Anna Gibb, senior development worker at the Star Project, said: 'We are incredibly grateful to all our wonderful volunteers. 'The time and dedication they give to Star Project cannot be underestimated and we wouldn't be able to run all our different services without them. 'The skills and experience each volunteer brings to their role makes Star Project a richer, more inclusive place, and we cannot thank them enough for their hard work.' As part of their celebration event, volunteers were gifted vouchers for free haircuts at Haus of Seisay Hairdressing Academy. A fellow charity, Haus of Seisay strives to provide career opportunities in hairdressing for care experienced young people. Star Project has been at the forefront of tackling the impact of poverty, deprivation and associated stigma since its creation in Paisley in 1999. It, with the support of its volunteers, delivers successful group, individual and community activities and supports that build resilience through themes of wellbeing, connections and creativity. Volunteers work across the daily drop-in, Paisley Men's Shed, Community Fridge, Pantry Plus and the Board of Trustees. When asked why they chose to volunteer with Star Project, one volunteer said: 'Star is my second family, I don't know where I'd be without them, to me, Star is a place of safety, friendliness and inclusion.' Another volunteer added: 'I love volunteering at Star because it is such a welcoming atmosphere and it helps me feel good about myself'.
