Innovative Energy Consultancy Ltd
Innovative Energy Consultancy Ltd

Reducing energy consumption best use for public money reports Carbon Trust

The Carbon Trust says public sector organisations spend over £2.5 billion each year on energy use in England alone. 

Investing to reduce energy consumption is one of the best uses for public money right now, says Bruno Gardner, Director, Energy Efficiency Ventures at the Carbon Trust.

“Energy prices are rising and ambitious targets are being set for carbon reduction. Relatively swift returns on investment provide an easy way to cut costs and free up more money for the delivery of front line services, while also helping public bodies to lead the way towards a low carbon economy.”

Mr Gardner goes on to say: “When it comes to energy efficiency the public sector has a comparatively strong record, with many organisations developing and implementing robust energy efficiency programmes and carbon management plans. But there is still a big gap between the total potential opportunity and what is actually being achieved. We know the scale of opportunity for cutting carbon in the public sector and how this can deliver major cost savings. Over the last 11 years the Carbon Trust has identified £2.8 billion of total lifetime cost savings for public bodies in England (net of project costs), with over £700 million net saved to date. The government has identified that around £1.66 billion of capital investment could cut the public sector’s energy bills by 30%.

“In theory taking action should be an easy decision, but in practice this is often not the case. So what is holding this investment back? In our experience there are generally three major barriers to energy efficiency implementation: a lack of awareness of the opportunity; a lack of confidence in manufacturer or supplier claims about energy efficiency; and a lack of available budget or finance.”

Read the full article here.

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