County council named in top 3% greenest organisations (From Mid Devon Star)

County council named in top 3% greenest organisations

1:00pm Friday 8th March 2013 in News By Mid Devon Star Reporter

SOMERSET County Council has been named in the top 3% of over 2,000 of the UK’s largest organisations based on carbon emissions.

The league table is part of the CRC, Energy Efficiency Scheme and is aimed at improving energy efficiency and cutting emissions in large public and private sector organisations across the nation.

David Hall, Somerset County Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for the Low Carbon Agenda said: “We have been working hard to reduce our carbon emissions by minimising the energy we use. It’s clear to see from the Carbon Reduction league table that our work is now paying off.

“By reducing our carbon emissions we are not only minimising our impact on the environment, but also reducing our energy costs, and we’re committed to exploring new ways of reducing these further.”

The council said it's environmental success is down to a number of factors, including: • Improvements to the energy efficiency of Council buildings.

• Reduction in the number of Council buildings.

• Improvements to the quality and frequency of energy usage information.

• Automatic meter readers fitted to electricity and gas supplies.

In addition, the authority is improving the energy efficiency of its street lighting through LED, dimming and part-night operation, and has a sustainable transport policy that reduces staff travel. New ways of reducing waste and increasing recycling across the authority are also being explored.

Somerset Residents can find out how they can save money on their fuel bills by contacting their local energy advice centre on 0800 082 2234.