Energy champions given the powers to help save city £1m

Published on Thursday 6 November 2008 08:42

EVERY city council department is to be given an "energy champion" in a bid to drive down costs and save more than £1 million.

Council chiefs have also ordered a review of the efficiency of the city's street lights, and the use of council vehicles.

The authority's energy spending has risen by 35 per cent over the past three years, from 9.7m in 2005 to 13.2m at the beginning of this year. It is predicted that energy costs for 2008-09 will rise again to 14.4m.

With a projected overspend of 15 per cent in the current financial year, city leaders are planning to introduce a series of measures to save ten per cent of the bill. Allocating energy champions to encourage simple efficiency measures in the workplace, such as checking thermostats, closing blinds at the end of the day and ensuring taps are turned off is designed to spread "good practice" among council employees.

A review of light fittings within the City Chambers, briefings for all council building managers and instructing security staff to switch off lights and computer monitors after working hours in the council's Waverley Court HQ will also be carried out.

Although street lighting will be examined, the council insists this will involve looking at components rather than switching off any lights in the city.

Dave Anderson, director of city development, said: "Worldwide economic changes have had a substantial impact on energy tariffs, which has resulted in an appreciable differential between budget provision and expenditure. Measures have previously been taken to reduce energy consumption and it is intended to reinforce these with a co-ordinated programme of awareness briefing for service managers."

Council chiefs have admitted that to reduce consumption, "significant levels of investment" will be needed to improve the condition of buildings.

Longer term, the council hopes to upgrade buildings, including improving insulation, roofs, walls and windows, replace light and heating systems, provide swimming pool covers in schools and introduce energy management systems.

The energy-saving measures have been welcomed by Green councillor Alison Johnstone, who added that most of it "isn't rocket science".

She said: "Our buildings are notoriously bad for wasting energy. One of my bugbears is how we put conservation before energy-saving measures – for example not being allowed to put double glazing into certain buildings.

"One of the most important things in terms of energy use is to save energy wherever possible because we are wasting bucketloads of it. I welcome the plans for energy champions because it gives a really local focus.

"If the council is keeping its costs down, it can be spending money elsewhere."