Energy consumption in hospitals is growing steadily. Electricity
already accounts for over 50% of a hospital's energy costs and with
the increased use of specialist medical equipment that generally
relies on electricity, consumption is set to increase.
In total, the UK's healthcare sector spends more than £400
million per year on energy. Unfortunately, a significant proportion
of this is wasted, meaning that money is being wasted too.
Implementing a few simple techniques can help to reduce the amount
of energy consumed in a hospital, which releases important funds
for use elsewhere.
See below for three areas to focus on for reducing energy use in
this sector.
Heating:
this can account for as much as 60% of the total energy bill in a
typical building. Just 1°C of overheating can increase your fuel
costs by around 8%. Find out how you can cut heating costs by up to
30% with advice on simple energy saving measures, upgrading and
replacing equipment.
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
Hospitals sector overview (CTV024)
Primary healthcare sector
overview (CTV025)
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 financing and implementation support for
organisations seeking to invest in energy efficient equipment, for
more details visit our Implementation &
finance page.
Visit our regional web pages for Wales and Northern Ireland to get details
of our government-funded support.