Exorbitant energy bills are hurting swimming pools already struggling with costly, hard-to-find chlorine disinfectants. One UK-sourced product tackles both challenges head on.
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UK swimming pools are now facing the perfect storm: massive increases in energy and chemical supplies. Spurred by the war in Ukraine, energy prices in 2022 have risen by more than 150%.
Heating and pool water treatment or simply keeping the lights on are becoming much more expensive, operating costs have soared. As a result, many pools are now restricting opening hours and bather numbers or closing completely.
This summer, the government was warned that up to 79% of public leisure facilities are “likely” or “extremely likely” to cease operations within the next six months without extra financial support. Swim England was one of many predicting that price hikes, service reductions and pool closures are on the horizon.
The government’s recent response – the Energy Bill Relief Scheme introduced in September 2022 – is proving inadequate. Despite the price cap, one pool saw its annual energy costs rise from £180,000 in 2019 to more than £600,000 by October 2022. Its owner told Swim England that it had already had to temporarily close two pools.
Meanwhile, the chlorine crisis continues, with the price of hard-to-find chlorine liquids, tablets and powders more than doubling in the last two years. Brexit, lower production in China, US factory fires, Biocidal Product Regulation restrictions, the Ukraine conflict again: all these mean chlorine is in short supply and priced accordingly. This has already left many UK pools facing closure – and chlorine prices continue to soar.
As pool managers search for ways to save money and reliably source chlorine, electrochlorination is the logical solution. Gaffey’s Hyprolyser® electrochlorination systems generate sodium hypochlorite solution – on site and on demand – using electrolysis. The only things these systems require to deliver dependable chlorination are harmless salts, water and electricity.
These salts are not rare nor expensive. Just like the UK-manufactured Hyprolyser®, they are readily available in the UK at prices comparably much lower than alternative commodity chlorine based chemicals. The cost to generate sodium hypochlorite on site remains an attractive and secure method to operators chlorinating their swimming pools.
This means that, as well as being quick and easy to install, Gaffey’s Hyprolyser® electrochlorination systems are also significantly cheaper to run than other chlorine dosing systems.
With no hazardous chemicals to transport or store, Hyprolyser® is a safer, cleaner and sustainable way to keep water clean. The Hyprolyser® range can handle any pool size, from small spas to large leisure centres or theme parks with multiple pools and water features.
McLaren Leisure recently fitted a Hyprolyser® at its pool in Callander, Scotland to avoid closures due to the chlorine shortage and to reduce its costs over the long term. “The chlorine crisis is a real concern for all pools along with mounting energy costs,” explained centre manager Trish Thompson to the Daily Record.
As energy prices keep rising and global chlorine shortages continue, just remember there is a domestic solution that guarantees abundant supplies of chlorine. Manufactured here in the UK, we have Hyprolyser® in-situ units in stock, ready to install through our trusted Trade Partner network wherever you are in the UK.
If you want to know more, email us at info@gaffey.co.uk or call us on 01254 350180.
Contact our team to find out more: email info@gaffeytechnology.com or services@gaffeytechnology.com
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