Friday 14 February 2020

New energy deal to see more than a tenth of NHS estate go 100% renewable

A newly-signed energy deal means more than a tenth of the NHS estate will switch to 100% renewable energy in April.

NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has announced two new energy contracts covering its properties in England - the first will see British Gas Business provide the organisation with 100% clean electricity, while the second will involve Corona supplying it with natural gas.

NHSPS is responsible for around 11% of the entire NHS estate, totalling an area of more than 34 million square feet across around 3,500 properties and 5,000 employees.

It expects the change to allow it to avoid more than 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, helping to reduce the NHS's overall carbon footprint, which currently makes up around 5% of the nation's greenhouse gas impacts.

NHSPS is also planning to spend £1.5 million on an estate-wide LED upgrade programme this year.

Martin Steele, Chief Operating Officer at NHS Property Services, said: "Switching to 100% renewable electricity for all our buildings is a landmark moment in efforts to transform our NHS portfolio into a sustainable estate.

"We take our responsibility towards reducing the environmental impact of our buildings very seriously. This move will also help us to improve the wellbeing of our people and patients whilst reducing NHS operating and maintenance costs."