Bridgebank’s Fuel Management

The background

Bridgebank Ltd, a leading civil contractor based in the East Midlands, has been a pioneer in adopting innovative solutions for its construction projects. In 2022, Bridgebank, with its 30 live construction projects and extensive fleet of vehicles and machinery, faced a steep rise in costs due to inflation and the industry-wide transition from red to white diesel.

This case study explores how Bridgebank has revolutionised its fuel management system by integrating Conquip Engineering Group’s Fuel Eco-Hub into its operations.

The challenge

Regulatory changes and rising fuel costs

On 1 April 2022, the UK government phased out the use of red diesel in the construction sector, mandating a switch to ‘cleaner’ white diesel as part of their Net Zero strategy. This change was exacerbated by fuel price increases. While the amount of fuel consumed remained constant, the cost per litre increased dramatically, becoming an even more critical number in the organisation’s overall financial performance.

Fuel theft

Bridgebank had been plagued by fuel theft, on some sites experiencing three break-ins in just three weeks. The contracts managers needed to find a way to prevent theft as with increased costs and often lower availability of fuel, constant break-ins could cause machine downtime on site.

Also, with the fuel being used by machines now the same ‘white’ diesel that could be used in a domestic vehicle, there was a need for monitoring theft internally within the business, as well as make sure that fuel was not being ‘used’ by other contractors on site.

Lack of real-time monitoring

Bridgebank lacked a real-time monitoring system to track fuel usage across different machines and sites, making it difficult to analyse fuel costs associated with a specific project and to track fuel consumption by vehicle.

The solution: Fuel Eco-Hub by Conquip Engineering Group

Real-time monitoring and control

The Fuel Eco-Hub comes with permission-based apps that allow real-time tracking of fuel consumption. This real-time data also allows the administration and finance teams to analyse the state of machinery. If a particular machine starts consuming more fuel than usual, it could indicate either theft or inefficiency. Servicing or checking inefficient machines, will help to reduce pollution and reduce wear and tear.

“Each team has their own phone app, so they can come to the Eco-Hub, input code and fill up. Then we can monitor everything back in our office”
Mark Mulhern | Contracts Manager, Bridgebank.

Enhanced security

“One of the biggest impacts we’ve had on our business over the last few years is the swap from red diesel to white diesel, as we immediately saw theft increase. That’s one of the main reasons we’re using the Conquip Fuel Eco-Hub, it’s well-disguised as a normal site store and comes with extra security measures, making it impossible to steal the diesel,” Paul Jones, Commercial Director, Bridgebank.

Cost savings

Bridgebank has experienced immediate savings by filling up their commercial vans at the Fuel Eco-Hub rather than at the forecourts. Most of the workers use the vans to travel to and from their construction projects on-site at approximately £1 per litre, compared to £1.50+ per litre at forecourts.

Improved operational efficiency and sustainability

The Fuel Eco-Hub has created a central fuelling location, making it efficient for all vans and machines to access fuel at any point during the day. In addition, the hub is solar-powered, eliminating the need for an external power supply. This feature allows Bridgebank to deploy the Fuel Eco-Hub to any new project in any remote location and immediately start fuelling excavators or other plant to enable construction to start, without the need for power suppliers or generators.

“I’ve worked with Conquip for over ten years now, and they are always bringing new initiatives to market. The Fuel Eco-Hub is the newest thing on the market, and it is a massive benefit to what we do”
Paul Jones | Commercial Director, Bridgebank

Conclusion

The Fuel Eco-Hub by Conquip Engineering Group has proven to be a game-changer for Bridgebank, offering a secure, efficient, and cost-effective solution for total fuel management.