Green Achievements

“To minimise the impact of our activities on the environment and in naturally occurring systems”

In order to easily chart our progress, sites have been divided into those centres without swimming pools and those with pools (Nye Bevan and Park Pool, both with two pools). By simply looking at the kWh involved, it can be seen that there is significant energy consumption associated with swimming pools.

Gas consumption is highly seasonal due to heating requirements; however reductions are being made.

Day electricity has seen overall reductions for non-pool sites since 2006, although pool sites only significantly started reducing consumption in 2008, the reductions have been quite pronounced. Peak increase at Skelmersdale was due to the hire of large industrial heater.

Night electricity has seen steady reductions at all sites except Park Pool, which was caused by faulty sensor fitted to the pool hall Air Handling Unit, this is now switched off by hand and a manual system introduced to monitor this process.

What we did

• Ensured all staff followed ‘Good housekeeping’ procedures. Essentially this involves turning things off when they are not needed.
• Conference calls to reduce impacts associated with travel
• Tailoring the ‘on times’ of our ventilation to ensure they closely match centre usage.
• Ensuring all temperatures are at recommended levels.
• We have insulated a number of areas in order to prevent heat loss. In addition, we have had a thermal imaging survey to identify further areas of loss, which we took action on.
• Timers were installed on vending machines to turn them off overnight.
• Save-a-flush bags have been put in toilets, saving 1 litre of water per flush.
• Smart meters have been installed through our partners in order to monitor ‘live’ gas and electricity consumption.
• External lighting has dusk sensors and timers fitted to ensure they are not on unless required. A number of internal areas have motion sensor operated lighting, for example toilet lights are operated in this way.
• Two staff have had Carbon Reduction Leader training in order to assist them with utility savings and to help them inform and advise others.
• To help make customers aware of what they can do at home, we have created a Carbon reduction notice board. The notice boards also detail our savings, and how we achieved them.