Friday 13 January 2023

Energy crisis kills off saunas

Saunas and steam rooms are being axed, as energy costs make them untenable.

Wiltshire Council has taken the decision to close the rooms at seven leisure centres to save £80,000 in yearly energy costs.

On making the decision, Councillor Ian Blair-Pilling said: “This is an energy crisis. We have to make the books balance and take sensible measures at a sensible time.

“This is an energy crisis that our country is in and therefore it's incumbent on us to work out how to save energy.”

Members of clubs in places such Chippenham and Marlborough received emails informing them of the temporary closure, with Mr Blair-Pilling saying that each sauna is the same as a “9KW fire continuously running.”

The move will see the council save on costs and boost its green credentials.

The council stated: “In the current climate it is very hard for us to justify keeping them open. Closing them, even for a short period of time, will significantly reduce our overall energy consumption.”