Climate change measures cut Darlington Council energy bills by almost £5m

A DASH to slash its carbon footprint has saved Darlington Council almost £5m in energy bills over the past three years.

That’s the key finding in a report being presented to councillors next week, which will show that the council has completed almost all the action points it set itself to become carbon neutral by 2040. 

The update, which covers progress in the last six months, details carbon emission reductions, energy-saving measures, events and more and shows the wide breadth of work being undertaken to ensure the council remains on track to meet its 2040 target.

Highlights include a 12-fold increase in solar panel output.

This, along with other energy efficiency measures, has generated a saving of around £5m on energy bills over the last three years and helped towards a reduction in the council’s carbon footprint by more than 50% based on baseline figures.

Meanwhile, the council’s Highway Asset Management team reported a total reduction of over 348 tonnes in CO2 emissions during 2023-24 (23% more than 2022-23).  

The team’s use of low carbon materials and adopting sustainable practices during their maintenance programme has resulted in carbon savings as well as financial savings.

Housing Services is now bidding for Wave 3 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, through the Tees Valley Combined Authority.  

If successful, the Wave 3 bid will see a further 1,600 council homes enjoying better energy efficiency with an energy performance of at least C by 2028. 

As well as providing tenants with warmer homes that are more comfortable and cheaper to heat, the move would reduce carbon output further.

More highlights of the past six months include the Eco Fair in June, which attracted crowds of around 5,000 to enjoy eco-family-fun with hands-on crafts, science demonstrations, and interactive theatre shows while exploring various eco-friendly products and services.

Another event was a climate change seminar for councillors held in September. 

The seminar was attended by the Head of Local Energy from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and Phil Brennan from the Association for Public Sector Excellence (APSE). 

 In December, the council submitted a report to the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of a trial project for local authorities to report to the Secretary of State under the Climate Change Act’s Adaptation Reporting Power. 

 Coun Chris McEwan, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for economy, said:

“According to the World Health Organisation, climate change is the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century. 

“This report is a progress update on our journey to becoming a carbon-neutral council. 

“Our work cuts across many different areas, and our climate change strategy must mirror this.

“In the past six months, I have met with all of the council’s senior managers to discuss our work and our targets around carbon neutrality.  I am pleased to say we are making progress across the vast majority of our action points and are always looking at new and innovative ways to further our journey to carbon neutral by 2040.”

The council’s pledge to become carbon neutral by 2040 covers all service areas, and the council aims to encourage residents and businesses to join it on the journey towards a more sustainable future. 

More details are available at: www.darlington.gov.uk/sustainable.

The report, which went before Darlington Borough Council’s Cabinet, showed the council is on track to reach, or has completed, 97% of its action points towards becoming carbon neutral by 2040.