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Local government

Energy efficiency and carbon saving advice for local government organisations.

The energy consumption of local authorities is estimated to be at least 26 billion kWh per year. This results in annual CO2 emissions of more than 6.9 Mt and corresponds to energy expenditure in the order of £750 million per year.

Energy is one of the largest controllable overheads in many local authority buildings so there are many opportunities to make savings.

Reducing energy consumption not only saves money but improves working conditions which can increase staff productivity. Furthermore, the environment benefits from reductions in carbon emissions and energy use which can enhance organisational image and improve public relations.

Local authorities have a huge sphere of influence and a duty to promote the social, economic and environmental well-being of their community. As permanent bodies that plan for the long term, they are uniquely placed to play a significant part in achieving the national goal of developing a low-carbon economy.

There are three areas to focus on for reducing energy in local government organisations:

Heating: this can account for 60% of your total energy costs. Read our low cost housekeeping tips and advice for implementation of energy efficient equipment to find out how you could reduce your heating costs by up to a third.

Ventilation: unnecessary ventilation can waste energy and cost you a lot of money. Find out how you can make your systems more efficient with advice on simple energy saving measures, upgrading and replacing equipment.

Energy management: get buy-in for energy saving across all levels of the organisation, from appointing an energy manager and monitoring energy use, to developing an action plan and training staff.

Further guidance

Engage staff on saving energy in the workplace

UK businesses and public bodies could save £500 million and 2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions by engaging employees in cutting energy use, paper waste and travel. Help your employees play a part in achieving energy and carbon savings for your organisation with our Empower employee engagement programme.

Energy efficiency support

If you'd like to improve energy efficiency of your organisation, see our services to find out how we can help. This includes our public sector support, and financing and implementation support for organisations seeking to invest in energy efficient equipment.