Previous Section Back to Table of Contents Lords Hansard Home Page


Government Departments: Energy Efficiency

Lord Hughes of Woodside asked Her Majesty's Government:

Baroness Hayman: By 31 March 1997, energy efficiency in government departments had improved by just over 15 per cent. since 1990-91.

Full details are given in the attached tables; the overall improvement is shown in Table 4. The tables include revisions to figures for earlier years revealing better performance than previously reported. All results reported here relate to periods before this administration took office. Energy management in individual departments is a matter for those departments and their green Minister. The Government aim to be at the forefront of good practice to improve energy efficiency, and will be looking to ensure that momentum is maintained through the strengthened role of green Ministers under the Chairmanship of my right honourable friend the Minister for the Environment, Mr. Michael Meacher. We are also working on the development of new performance indicators which will, for the first time, enable comparisons with independent standards of good practice across the economy.

The results for the former Department of the Environment in 1996-97 were affected by relocation and rationalisation of its accommodation in London and elsewhere. This resulted in the need to run a number of old and new buildings while changes took place. The department's two new headquarters buildings at Eland House and Ashdown House will be fully occupied by the end of March 1998. Both include a number of energy efficient measures, including a combined heat and power system and a displacement cooling system.

1 Apr 1998 : Column WA47

Table 1: Government estate: energy efficiency performance(3)

Civil Departments,Energy Expenditure(4) £ Own investment in energy efficiency(4) £ Percentage reduction relative to 1990-91(5) (positive figures represent per cent. improvement) Total cost at standard prices adjusted for estate and weather changes
including Agencies1995-961996-971995-961996-971991-921992-931993-941994-951995-961996-97
MAFF--"Main estate"(6)1,570,0351,607,392500,000344,000-13-4-21114
MAFF--Laboratories(6)2,092.0681,195,120330,000124,000-12-19-24-29-256
Cabinet Office499,165703,573325,0000-14058154
Culture, Media & Sport 1 o75,41482,8881,0000---------7-16
Customs & Excise3,046,6383,476,954300,00090,50021410142011
Education and Employment1.464,2301,337,96345,700294,650-2-20-10-15-9-17
Employment Service7,021,4126,820,6221,132,5240448920
Environment(7)1,375,9871,228,38187,11637,200813914167
Environment--HSE(8)754,812667,458144,56405-4-1-281520
Enviornment--QEIICC 2 , 6 464.473291,71500-17-16-14-8-6-1
FCO834,208920,98930,00021,754-37-9-10-14-21
Health(9)801,192722,641117,00031,500-130-98-83-54-46
Home Office2,012,1612,051,87300-8-8-8-7-21
Home Office--Prisons(4)18,141,74324,257,8261,200,00002-4-3-801
Inland Revenue9,054,2308,256,246567,744250,000126121616
International Development(11)372.396212,935158,0000---4031135
Lord Chancellor's Department5,889,6805,301,6100003991214
National Savings1,043,471921,999951,717620,4853812171924
Northern Ireland11,107,2769,012,943870,000313,00012591310
Scottish Office(10)1,139,914779,63460,00070,000--6-8-12-18-17
Scottish Court Service(10)755,401755,40180,00080,000--25183333
Scottish Prison Service2,424,3772,409,695372,6900-104573
Social Security 1 1 14,236,00015,684,9691,000,0001,170,000-1-1-4-13-5
Trade and Industry2,718,2532,170,7400055053341
Transport 5 , 1 2 2,940,0572,807,248235,205315,0007812171523
Treasury234,492393,1621,855084-9-15-3
Welsh Office543,700488,89511,93325,540122433
Total92,612.78594,560,8728,522,0483,787,6291.30.60.60.67.47.5

1 Apr 1998 : Column WA49

Table 2: Government estate: energy efficiency performance 1 , 1 6

Performance against energy and cost indicators, relative to 1990-91 (positive figures represent per cent. progress)
Adjusted for estate and weather changes Adjusted for weather changes only
Civil Departments, Fossil fuel Electricity Total kWh Total cost CO2 Total CO2
including Agencies1995-961996-971995-961996-971995-961996-971995-961996-971995-961996-971995-961996-97
MAFF--"Main estate"(6)4748-16-12333511141619135
MAFF--Laboratories-916-341-1612-2561517-2322
Cabinet Office3946-1-2330291542016-6-34
Culture, Media and Sport 1 0 -112-60-9-8-7-16-7-15-7-15
Customs and Excise4843133322520112516-12-17
Education and Employment2828-17-2762-9-17-5-132-2
Employment Service1723-6-1411132042-4-2
Environment(7)10360-13312416726192527
Environment--HSE(8)3151922918152018242226
Environment--QEII CC 2 , 6 -52-8-1-1-19-3-6-1-7-2-7-2
FCO2316-26-333-4-14-21-10-18-1-28
Health(9)3341-84-75-11-3-54-46-40-32-21-14
Home Office55-5-123-210335
Home Office--Prisons(4)1215-18-20911011013-2-2
Inland Revenue231213171914161618172328
International Development(11)-829173813211351035968
Lord Chancellor's Department303036222312141517-40
National Savings18319281917192419242128
Northern Ireland18161161513131024211211
Scottish Office(10)1819-39-3834-18-17-8-3-710
Scottish Court Service(10)393930303636333334341414
Scottish Prison Service1511-6-121397310550
Social Security 1 1 2618-9-181693-57-1-9-21
Trade and Industry676720315154334138445866
Transport 5 2 324610152435152318253943
Treasury16190-141195-310329-10
Welsh Office3831-6-4181633771724
Total20.621.0-1.0-1.215.315.57.47.513.113.67.07.4

Table 3: Government estate: energy efficiency performance 1 3 , 1 4

Percentage reduction relative to 1990-91 (positive figures represent per cent. improvement) Adjusted for estate changes and weather correction
Fossil fuel Electricity Total kWh
Ministry of Defence1994-951995-961996-971994-951995-961996-971994-951995-961996-97
Civil1525351115131725
Navy143237333941183338
Army1117218202013176
RAF13232610914122023
Procurement Executive02399021602263
DERA1317-833-2810-5
Total11.721.516.617.418.720.113.920.817.4

Percentage reduction relative to 1990-91 (positive figures represent per cent. improvement)
Adjusted for estate changes and weather correction Adjusted for weather changes only
Total cost CO2 Total CO2
Ministry of Defence1994-951995-961996-971994-951995-961996-971994-951995-961996-97
Civil12814121119-7-80
Navy253640263943132630
Army151812162113162518
RAF111519121720212529
Procurement Executive022290224102241
DERA06-307-407-4
Total15.519.918.616.522.020.616.623.922.5

1 Apr 1998 : Column WA51

Table 4: Government estate: energy efficiency performance 1 5

Percentage reduction relative to 1990-91 (positive figures represent improvement) Adjusted for estate changes and weather correction
EntireFossil fuel Electricity Total kWh
Government estate1994-951995-961996-971994-951995-961996-971994-951995-961996-97
Civil Departments11.620.621.0-6.4-1.0-1.27.115.315.5
MoD11.721.516.617.418.720.113.920.817.4
Total11.621.217.99.612.213.111.819.116.8

Percentage reduction relative to 1990-91 (positive figures represent improvement)
Adjusted for estate changes and weather correction Adjusted for weather changes only
EntireTotal cost CO2 Total CO2
Government estate1994-951995-961996-971994-951995-961996-971994-951995-961996-97
Civil Departments0.67.47.54.813.113.6-1.97.07.4
MoD15.519.918.616.522.020.616.623.922.5
Total10.815.915.112.919.218.410.918.717.8

Table 5: Government estate: energy and cost indicator 1 6

Energy Indicator Cost indicator
Civil Departments,Fossil fuel kWh/m(4) Electricity kWh/m(4) Fossil fuel £/m(4) Electricity £/m(4)
including Agencies1990-911995-961996-971990-911995-961996-971990-911995-961996-971990-911995-961996-97
MAFF "Main estate"(6)2861511488194913.581.891.854.885.645.46
MAFF--Laboratories5786284852353152337.237.856.0614.0918.9013.87
Cabinet Office29117615794951163.632.201.965.655.686.96
Culture, Media and Sport 1 0 1561741531411501691.962.181.918.488.9910.15
Customs and Excise16184911301131262.011.051.147.806.787.58
Education and Employment1661201201521781932.081.501.509.1310.7111.59
Employment Service2201821688287932.742.272.104.915.235.59
Environment(7)2821691818788993.532.112.275.235.255.92
Environment--HSE(8)18718215810384812.342.271.986.205.024.85
Environment--QEII CC 2 , 6 1532331652702722721.912.912.0616.2116.3016.32
FCO2181681831451831942.732.102.298.7110.9711.61
Health(9)1741161031071971882.171.451.286.4211.8211.26
Home Office3122972951361431383.903.713.698.188.588.28
Home Office--Prisons(4)5074464316982836.365.575.394.154.894.96
Inland Revenue16612714610592872.081.591.836.335.515.24
International Development(11)3814112712201821374.775.143.3913.2310.928.23
Lord Chancellor's Department2591811811081051023.242.262.266.506.316.12
National Savings1911561842081681492.391.962.3112.4910.108.93
Northern Ireland234193195109971012.922.412.446.535.846.16
Scottish Office(10)258211208911261263.222.632.605.457.577.53
Scottish Court Service(10)1631001006445452.031.251.253.862.702.70
Scottish Prison Service5334514746772756.675.645.924.044.294.50
Social Security 1 1 2782072271031131213.482.592.846.206.767.29
Trade and Industry3721221241961571364.651.531.5411.779.408.17
Transport 5 , 1 2 196134105114103972.451.681.316.846.185.81
Treasury2482082011071071223.092.602.516.406.407.30
Welsh Office158981081261331311.971.221.357.558.007.89
Total302253255991011023.783.173.185.916.086.12

Footnotes to Tables:

(3) Progress is expressed as a percentage relative to the 1990-91 base year value of the performance indicator in question. Positive figures represent improvement. The standard indicator, against which the target to improve energy efficiency by 20 per cent. by 31 March 2000 is measured, is obtained by weather-correcting energy consumption and converting to costs using "standard prices" for fuel (6p/k W/h for electricity and 1.25 p/kWh for all fossil fuels) then dividing by floor area. Conversion to money both reflects the relative costs of electricity and fossil fuel and their environmental impact, and the use of fixed prices eliminates the effects of tariff changes which distort the comparison of fuel bills.

(4) Although figures have been prepared on a consistent basis, caution should be exercised in comparing the energy use of different departments and agencies because of differences in their estate and the nature of their work. For example, the operational needs of prisons and the QEII Conference Centre mean than they have a pattern of energy use which is different from that of a department which has predominantly office accommodation. Expenditure on energy and investment figures are included for information only. Investment figures relate to clearly identifiable energy efficiency measures undertaken by departments. Energy efficiency is an integral part of all major construction projects, including building refurbishment and plant replacement and the figure "0" for some departments does not necessarily mean there has been no investment, just that the investment was not clearly identifiable.

(5) The average performance figure for the civil estate cannot be derived by simply adding together the individual departmental progress and dividing by the number of departments because this does not allow for the large variations in consumption. The correct figure is obtained by calculating the value of the performance indicator for the year in question and the base year, for the civil estate as a whole, and calculating the reduction relative to the base year.

(6) The energy performance for MAFF's "Main estate" and its laboratories continues to improve with ongoing investment in energy schemes. continued staff awareness programmes and changes to estate classification and further rationalisation in 1996-97.

(7) Last full year for the former Environment and Transport Departments. The former Environment Department now has a greater proportion of air-conditioned buildings than in the base year, because of estate rationalisation, relocation to new HQ buildings and inclusion of some Government Offices for the Regions.

(8) HSE was removed from the DFEE estate on the formation of that Department. QEII Conference Centre is reported separately because of its business-led demands. The initial sharp rise in consumption following the 1990-91 base year was directly attributable to increased revenue earning activity, which has continued throughout the reporting period, and the more recent decline in consumption reflects the effect of energy conservation measures undertaken at the site.

(9) Rationalisation of the estate since the base year has led to staff moving from several naturally ventilated buildings to more densely occupied air-conditioned buildings, all equipped with information technology equipment.

(10) Base year is 1991-92.

(11) Base year in 1991-92. Data for Natural Resources Institute no longer included following its transfer to the University of Greenwich.

1 0 Base year is 1994-95, by which time energy efficient lighting and other improvements already installed in buildings which are already fully air-conditioned with intensive IT usage.

1 1 Workload is increasing, affecting occupancy and requiring offices to be occupied for longer, increasing the use of energy. Greater use of information technology, expansion of the use of air conditioning and the upgrading of lighting levels has increased electricity consumption.

1 2 Figures exclude the Vehicle Inspectorate Agency.

1 3 The Ministry of Defence (MoD) estate is different from the rest of the government estate, and has been undergoing more radical changes. It is therefore treated in a slightly different way. In common with the civil estate, it has greatly increased its use of information technology. Full data for the years between 1990-91 and 1993-94 are not available, so the table shows the results for 1994-95 onwards.

1 4 Floor area cannot be calculated for the majority of the MoD estate. However, to enable comparisons with data for the civil estate which is adjusted for changes in floor area, a proxy has been used. Changes in consumption arising from estate changes have been estimated as a result of estate adjustments, with appropriate adjustments made to the gross data for the years following the change. In common with other Departments, the MoD has a target to achieve a 20 per cent. improvement by 31 March 2000. Positive figures represent improvement.

1 5 This shows the combined results for the whole of the government estate based on the data in tables 1, 2 and 3. It is not a simple average of the data but reflects the proportion of total consumption represented by each part of the estate (see also note 3). Some departments have a different base year, and the individually agreed base year has been used for the purposes of this table, where appropriate.

1 6 In some instances the base year is not 1990-91, but for the purposes of Tables 2 and 5 the agreed base year has been used in the calculation.


1 Apr 1998 : Column WA53



   Back to Table of Contents Lords Hansard Home Page