Plumbing firm nippychecks swaps white vans for eco-bikes

Published by

Peter Davison

A plumbing firm has launched nippychecks – a new eco-friendly gas and heating maintenance service in Bristol using electric cargo bikes to reach clients.

The new venture comes after a £24,000 investment in two new cargo bikes by West Country Heating and Plumbing (WCHP), which is headquartered in South Gloucestershire.

The move comes after a profitable year for the business, which has seen turnover rise from £1.4 million to £1.8 million in the past 12 months.

The new fully electric service will see a team of engineers riding to properties around Bristol city centre to maintain boilers, central heating and electrical systems and appliances.

Nippychecks will operate out of city centre premises and will serve domestic homeowners as well as helping maintain the portfolios of city landlords and lettings agents.

With a range of 40 miles and a top speed of 15 mph, the bikes are cycle lane permitted and can carry up to 150kg of cargo – easily enough for a toolbox and spare boiler parts.

Sam Blakeney, managing director of WCHP, said that nippychecks was following in the tyre tracks of similar services already offered in the city.

“There’s no reason why nippychecks can’t do for plumbing and heating what Deliveroo has done for food,” he said.

“Nippychecks solves a number of problems – it does its bit to cut congestion and improve air quality in the city, it provides a service free from the constraints of traffic problems, it’s cost-effective and ethical, too.

“We’ve often thought that using a half-empty van to splutter its way around the city didn’t really make sense for anyone. In nippychecks, we think we’ve found an answer.”

The two new vehicles have been brought from Oxfordshire-based EAV Ltd and are made from recyclable and sustainably sourced materials.

Leo Bethell, head of partnerships at EAV said: “We’re delighted to be providing two of our lightweight urban vehicles to nippychecks and of course we’re excited to see them making an impact in Bristol.

“Cargo bikes help businesses complete more services and deliveries in a shorter amount of time by accessing cycle lanes and pedestrian routes, while actively reducing congestion in urban environments.

“They’re safe, practical, zero emissions and eco-friendly, so we believe they’re going to play a big role in improving air quality and saving business – and their customers – time and money as well as making the centre of Bristol a better place to be.”

The two nippychecks cargo bikes will be branded in Bristol Blue and bright yellow, to reflect the heritage of the city while adding a modern, innovative look the service.

“There’s an opportunity to become part of Bristol’s sustainable and cycling identity,” said Sam. “Through West Country we have all the necessary systems and experience in place to ensure our services are provided smoothly and efficiently.

“We’ve set up a portal through which landlords and lettings agents can safely store and access all of their certifications. Meanwhile our tracker app will let them, as well as homeowners, check Nippy’s progress and whereabouts.

“It’s a modern business for modern times, and we’re looking forward to getting out and about in Bristol. Go Nippy!”

Pictured: Sam Blakeney, left, Tom Godsell on the new nippychecks vehicles

Peter Davison

Peter Davison is deputy editor of The Business Magazine. He has spent his life in journalism – doing work experience in newsrooms in and around Bristol while still at school, and landing his first job on a local newspaper aged 19. By 28 he was the youngest newspaper editor in the country. An early advocate of online news, he spent the first years of the 2000s telling his bosses that the internet posed both the biggest opportunity and greatest threat to the newspaper industry and the art of journalism. He was right on both counts. Since 2006 he has enjoyed a career as a freelance journalist. He lives in rural Wiltshire with one wife, two children, and three cats.