Issue - meetings

City Council Energy Costs and Reduction Projects Annual Report

Meeting: 13/10/2021 - Cabinet (Item 41)

41 Annual Report for Energy Costs and Energy Reduction Projects pdf icon PDF 462 KB

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Environment seeking to to inform Members of the Council’s energy costs and projects to reduce energy usage.

Decision:

RESOLVED that:

 

(1)       progress in the reduction of energy usage and consumption in the year 2020-21 is noted

 

(2)       continued implementation of projects to save energy in the Council’s main buildings as set out in section 4 of the report is supported.

 

 

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the report of the Cabinet Member for Environment that sought to inform Members of the Council’s energy costs and projects to reduce energy usage.

 

The Cabinet Member for Environment advised that in 2012 a revised energy management strategy had been introduced which committed to reduce energy use across the Council’s buildings by 2% per annum and to reduce its annual spend by £50k per annum.

 

The Council had a large number of buildings which used a considerable amount of gas and electricity.  In 2019-20 gas and electricity costs had averaged to £1549 per day. The costs for 2020-21 were not yet finalised but were estimated to drop significantly to £969 per day.  It was possible that the result of a marked lower use of gas and electricity had been a result of Covid.  Although it was noted that general energy prices would rise sharply over the next year, the Council was shielded for the 12 months by a price cap.  This would give the Council an opportunity to look at other opportunities to introduce more energy saving initiatives.

 

A detailed CLS report commissioned in 2020 recognised a number of high consuming energy sites as being available to deliver optimum fuel and energy savings, such as the Oxstalls Tennis Centre, Crematorium, GL1, North Warehouse and The Guildhall. These projects were in the process of development and evaluation. 

 

It was noted that the pool fleet vehicles had reduced the Council’s carbon output and the implementation of pure electric vehicles would extend this.  The new RCV fleet that will be purchased by Ubico would include electric vehicles. The installation of the ground source heat pump and solar panels at Plock Court was estimated to make energy savings of £35K. 

 

The Cabinet Member for Environment commented that it was hoped that the demonstrated success of the Council projects would encourage others to start making their own savings which would start Gloucester on the road to being Carbon neutral by 2045 which had been driven by changes at Government level.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

(1)       progress in the reduction of energy usage and consumption in the year 2020-21 is noted

 

(2)       continued implementation of projects to save energy in the Council’s main buildings as set out in section 4 of the report is supported.