Action Plan To Save Money On Power Bills And Reduce Energy Use

Manukau City Council is examining the operations of ten of its major buildings to try to cut power usage and lower running costs. The focus is on lighting, and the move is the latest step in a campaign to reduce the Council’s power bill, save energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Initiatives undertaken last year resulted in savings of $450,000. The major single factor was renegotiation of the cost of supply from power company Genesis, but substantial savings also came from changes to lighting in Council buildings.

Using less power also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as Huntly power station burns coal to create electricity. Burning coal produces greenhouse gases.

“We are committed to doing what we can to reduce greenhouse gases, and to keeping our power usage down. That of course saves ratepayers money,” says City Manager Colin Dale.

“We are looking at many areas where savings can be made apart from the obvious improvements such as energy-saving light fittings and lower wattage light bulbs. For example we are encouraging staff to share vehicles and to work from home where possible. Most people travel to and from work by car, so fewer trips means fewer greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
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“The Council has a responsibility to meet the standards set by the Kyoto Protocol, and it makes sense to start with our own operations.

“Recently the Council joined EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority), which is a government organisation that promotes energy saving. We expect to get a lot of sensible conservation ideas from them.

“The Council will also be encouraging energy-efficiency in the community, as it can mean healthier homes which are warmer, drier and easier to heat. This would also save people money. The same goes for transport – energy efficient driving can save on transport costs by reducing fuel use, in addition to helping the environment,” Mr Dale said.

ENDS

Media Contact:
Philip Keating
Communications Advisor
Manukau City Council
Phone: 09-2625181

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