At Westleigh Dental Care we have been looking at ways we can save energy to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce our outgoings as a business.
The building at Westbury Road has been double-glazed and has had loft insulation for quite some time. This helps to stop the heat from escaping. In 2020 we installed a new boiler which was much more efficient than the old one. At the same time, we also installed thermostat valves on all our radiators which means we can turn down the heat in certain rooms or off completely in rooms that aren’t being used in the building. Our heating is on a thermostat which is controlled by a timer which means the heating is only on when we need it. This year we completed a window seal audit to see if there was any damage to the window seals which might mean heat could escape. Some minor repairs were made to improve efficiency.
In 2022 we began a campaign to encourage our staff to think about how they can reduce energy consumption in the workplace. This includes posters and practice meetings where we encouraged staff to turn off lights when they were not in the room, only fill the kettle for what
they need and unplug devices once they are charged. In 2023 a smart meter was installed so we can monitor energy usage and be aware of what we use and when. A motion sensor light was fitted in the patient’s toilet. Prior to this, the light was left on all day but now will only come on when someone enters the room.
One of our energy saving commitments is to ensure that when an electrical appliance comes to its end of life that we actively replace it with one that has a high energy efficient rating. Since 2022 we have replaced the kettle and dishwasher with new more energy efficient models.
We have also pledged to look at energy suppliers who consider their impact on the environment and who are looking at ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In December 2023 we switched our gas supply to Smartest Energy who in 2022/23 had 74.5% of their energy supply from renewable sources. Our electricity comes from British Gas Lite who currently have 54% of renewable energy sources compared to the UK average of 41%. Our other electricity supplier is Pozitive Energy, who invest in carbon offset projects in Peru and Indonesia which also create jobs in the local community.
We have been tracking our energy usage since the summer of 2022 and have seen an overall reduction in our usage even though we have an extra surgery open on a Friday. In June 2022 our daily usage was 22 kwh and in March 2024 this has reduced to 17 kwh.
If you want to think about your energy usage, then this article from the National Grid has some great ideas.
https://www.nationalgrid.co.uk/customers-and-community/energy-saving-tips
