diff --git a/lib/email_api/emailer.py b/lib/email_api/emailer.py
index b53292c2a..f5ccbc918 100644
--- a/lib/email_api/emailer.py
+++ b/lib/email_api/emailer.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import time
 from typing import List
 from pathlib import Path
+import ssl
 from smtplib import SMTP_SSL
 import logging
 
@@ -44,9 +45,15 @@ def send_emails(self, emails: List[EmailParams]):
         """
 
         logger.debug("connecting to SMTP server")
-
+        context = ssl.create_default_context()
+        context.options |= (
+            ssl.OP_NO_TLSv1 | ssl.OP_NO_TLSv1_1
+        )  # Disable TLS 1.0 and 1.1
         with SMTP_SSL(
-            self.smtp_account.server, self.smtp_account.port, timeout=60
+            self.smtp_account.server,
+            self.smtp_account.port,
+            context=context,
+            timeout=60,
         ) as server:
             server.ehlo()
             logger.info("SMTP server connection established")
diff --git a/lib/workflows/send_error_vm_email.py b/lib/workflows/send_error_vm_email.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a9c47b86c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/workflows/send_error_vm_email.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+from openstack_query import ServerQuery
+from email_api.emailer import Emailer
+from structs.email.email_params import EmailParams
+from structs.email.email_template_details import EmailTemplateDetails
+from structs.email.smtp_account import SMTPAccount
+
+sq = ServerQuery()
+sq.select(["name", "id", "status", "updated_at"])
+sq.where(preset="younger_than", prop="updated_at", days=60)
+sq.where(preset="equal_to", prop="status", value="ACTIVE")
+sq.sort_by([("server_name", "ascending")])
+sq.run("prod-vgc59244", as_admin=False, all_projects=False)
+sq.append_from("projects", cloud_account="prod", props=["project_id", "project_name"])
+
+uq = sq.then("users")
+uq.group_by("user_email")
+uq.run("prod")
+
+print(uq.to_string())
+# uq.to_csv("./")
+
+Emailer(
+    SMTPAccount(
+        username="",
+        password="",
+        smtp_auth=False,
+        server="mail.gridpp.rl.ac.uk",
+        port=465,
+        secure=False,
+    )
+).send_emails(
+    [
+        EmailParams(
+            subject="test email",
+            email_to=["anish.mudaraddi@stfc.ac.uk"],
+            email_from="anish.mudaraddi@stfc.ac.uk",
+            email_templates=[
+                EmailTemplateDetails(
+                    template_name="test",
+                    template_params={
+                        "username": "anish",
+                        "test_message": "test that email works",
+                    },
+                ),
+                EmailTemplateDetails(template_name="footer"),
+            ],
+        )
+    ]
+)