County considers ways to reduce energy costs

Devon County Council’s Cabinet have endorsed a report by the Place Scrutiny Committee on energy consumption and renewable energy.

It recommends closely looking at the way the Council manages its energy consumption and that it should consider investing in renewable energy to generate income.

The Energy Policy Task Group recognised that the County Council has a current energy spend of about £18m per year.

Evidence suggests that these figures could be greatly reduced by making some simple changes for example, switching off unnecessary lighting and making sure the windows are closed while the heating is on. The energy spent is forecast to rise to £28m in 2020/21 due to energy price rises.

Councillor Gordon Hook, chairman of the task group, said; “Strong business cases already exist to reduce energy consumption and invest in renewable energy. However, despite this, the Council’s financial investment strategy currently achieves a net loss of money because the investments devalue at a greater rate (inflation) than they return via the interest rates."

“Opportunities for significantly reducing energy costs and generating an income are being missed, leading to negative outcomes for the people of Devon. A shift towards focussing on solutions and opportunities, rather than barriers, needs to be made among senior leadership.”

Due to Government funding cuts, the Council has already had to save £100 million over the last four years, and has to save a further £110 million by 2017.

A copy of the Energy Policy Task Group report can be accessed here