Energy efficient measures across Perth and Kinross Council Buildings are helping to save money, according to a new report.

Members of the Property Sub-Committee will be told at a meeting next week how, between 2012/13 and 2016/17, energy efficiency measures have led to reductions respectively of 11% in electricity consumption and 25% in gas consumption.

Overall, this amounts to a 20% drop in energy consumption and reflects and annual saving of £145,000.

Between 2015/16 and 2016/17, this has been primarily due to less gas being used as a result of upgraded building heating control systems, as well as investment in energy efficient equipment and low carbon technologies. CO2 emissions have also decreased between 2008/09 and 2016/17 from 18,600 tonnes to 16,400 tonnes.

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Between 2016/17 and the first nine months of 2017/18, a further reduction of 3% has also been achieved, equating to a further saving of £135,000 in energy costs. This has been achieved through more proactive use of heating controls, increased analysis of energy data and technical support for energy efficiency measures in new build and refurbishment work to the council's buildings.

In addition, the report lists a number of energy and water conservation projects that Property Services has delivered through funding of £94,000 in 2017/18, helping to meet the Council's 3% energy reduction target. Alongside this, a case study sets out the decreased energy use at the Council's Perth High Street headquarters since the building's major refurbishment and upgrade completed in 2016.

Property Sub-Committee member, Cllr Peter Barrett, said: "This is a very welcome report that reflects the impact that energy efficiency measures can have, from both a financial and environmental perspective. A range of steps have already been taken to cut energy consumption in our buildings with a clear effect on costs and our carbon footprint.

"The Council will now be looking at further measures to control and monitor energy and water use, keep raising awareness of energy consumption and reduction, and also the use of low and zero carbon technologies in our new and refurbished buildings, particularly as opportunities to make savings will become more challenging in the future."

The Property Sub-Committee will view the report during a meeting on Monday, 16 April.

(LM/MH)