10:10 Monthly Theme for November - Heating

For most of us, space heating (as opposed to water heating) is the single largest consumer of energy in the home.  If like me you record your meter readings on a regular basis you will see your energy consumption jump up when you turn the heating on.

Several of the measures highlighted in the NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy Update produced by the NHS Sustainable Development Unit relate to heating as follows:

• Combined Heat & Power installed in acute Trusts.  Could save 232,000 tonnes of carbon pa and £49m pa*;
• Improve heating controls.  Could save 26,000 tonnes of carbon pa and £3.5m pa*;
• Building Management System Optimisation. Could save 20,000 tonnes of carbon pa and £1.1m pa*;
• 1 degree C reduction in thermostat temperature.  Could save 49,000 tonnes of carbon pa and £2.6m pa*;

*All these figures relate to the NHS in England.

The Combined Heat and Power Association have supplied the following case studies:

• Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust;
• Royal Shrewsbury Hospital; and
• Royal Liverpool Hospital.