The City of Edinburgh Council has had to make inroads into its spending over the term of this administration with large cuts becoming necessary both because of decreasing budget and increasing calls on its funds.
Now with the help of E.ON’s energy efficiency specialists Matrix, they are upgrading seven schools, The Usher Hall and the City Chambers to ensure that these buildings are as energy efficient as possible. It is projected that this will lead to savings in spending of around £330,000 each year on energy bills while reducing carbon emissions by more than 1,500 tonnes per year.
The city council already said that they want to reduce carbon emissions by over 40% in the city by 2020, following The Scottish Government’s lead. The funding has come through the Salix financing scheme which offers 0% financing on such capital projects.
Councillor Lesley Hinds, Convenor of Transport and Environment Committee, said: “Energy efficiency is a key programme within our Sustainable Energy Action Plan that aims to reduce carbon emissions across the city.
“We are delighted to be able to partner with E.ON in the development of projects that will result in more energy efficient buildings delivering a number of benefits to the Council and its staff. This will be part of an ongoing programme of work initially supported by the Scottish Government and we will look forward to taking future phases of energy retrofits through the Scottish Government’s new framework.”
Dave Lewis, Managing Director of Matrix, E.ON’s energy efficiency business, added: “Edinburgh is looking to significantly reduce its carbon emissions and energy costs by 2020. The scope, scale and complexity of solutions we can offer customers will certainly help them on that journey, saving them on their energy and maintenance costs which can then be reinvested for the benefit of local residents. Our mission is to provide public sector and business customers with a wide range of innovative solutions that deliver real long term financial benefits.
“Being chosen as Edinburgh’s preferred partner is a sign of their confidence in our ability to develop the best solutions for them. We are already in discussions with the council about phase two of this project which we hope will see further significant carbon and financial savings achieved.”
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