Zurich’s Sustainability At Home scheme helps employees to cut energy usage & reduce bills

The insurer and employee benefit provider’s Sustainability At Home scheme is open to all staff who are Isle of Man residents. The scheme offers interest free loans to help them manage the significant financial investment which can be required to make their homes more energy efficient. There’s a wide range of things it can be used for, such as loft insulation, double glazing, solar panels, battery storage, smart meters or other technology that helps to reduce energy usage or improve efficiency.

Karen Mercer, Head of HR at Zurich on the Isle of Man, takes up the story: “Across the business there is a very strong commitment to reducing our carbon footprints at work and at home and it’s great that we are able to provide our employees with an accessible way to invest in the technology they need to be more energy efficient. We’re very excited and proud of the Sustainability At Home scheme because it demonstrates Zurich on the Isle of Man’s commitment to going beyond standard workplace initiatives by actively supporting employees in living more sustainably and easing the financial burden of adopting energy-efficient solutions.”

Sam Bowman, a Senior Project Manager, was the first employee here on the Island to sign-up for the scheme back in 2023. He used the interest free loan to help him buy solar panels and an Eco-Smart Energy Diverter (a smart technology device which improves the efficiency of solar panels by using any excess power that’s generated to heat water). With further colleagues since benefitting from the scheme, a wider range of purposes of the interest free loans can now also be illustrated.

Transformation Analyst, Natalia Konczyk, used a Sustainability At Home scheme interest free loan to replace the old front door at her home with a new one that improves heat retention and energy efficiency by preventing draughts. She says the scheme is a brilliant idea, and now the loan has been repaid she is thinking of applying for a second loan for loft and/or floor insulation.

Actuarial Technician, Sara Cryer, used a loan to purchase solar panels. Now that the loan has been repaid, she is considering applying for a second loan to help towards the cost of a new roof for the conservatory to improve temperature regulation and energy efficiency all year round.

Software Development Manager, Stewart Jones, took out an 18-month loan to install solar panels and battery storage units which have now been in place for just over a year. He’s currently thinking of installing triple glazing and would have no hesitation applying for another Sustainability At Home loan if he goes ahead with this idea.

The scheme is just the latest in a long line of initiatives which are part of Zurich’s local and global commitment to sustainability. Earlier this year Zurich on the Isle of Man installed smart technology at Zurich House which generates data that’s fed into a live dashboard which allows the office environment across the building to be accurately monitored and managed. This means temperature, humidity, air quality and pressure levels can be optimised in the same vein as the existing light harvesting system that also optimises the balance of natural and artificial light in the building to meet demand. All of this results in a win-win for energy efficiency, and can help support health and wellbeing by creating ideal working conditions for employees.

Zurich, in recent years, has also invested in renewable energy. In 2022 a solar power system (which was the biggest project of its type on the Island at the time) went live and is now making a significant contribution to the electricity needs at Zurich House, and powers EV charging points in the car park next to the office at Isle of Man Business Park.

www.zurichinternational.com/im

 

Pictured at Zurich House are (left to right) Actuarial Technician Sara Cryer, Head of HR Karen Mercer, and Software Development Manager Stewart Jones.

Media contact

For further enquiries please contact MMC by emailing Richard Allen: richard@mmc.co.im