May 12, 2022 4.30 pm This story is over 21 months old

How Lincolnshires’ hospitals are fighting rising energy costs

The trust has seen a year-on-year increase in energy costs

Soaring energy bills are putting the squeeze on the finances of households and public services alike.

Even emergency services with large operating budgets such as Lincolnshire’s hospitals aren’t immune from the pressure, and have seen year-on-year increases.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust have opened up about how they are dealing with the rising costs and the steps they are taking to save money.

Energy upgrades are expected to save £1.4 million per year and new heating and power unit has been installed in Lincoln hospital.

Paul Matthew, the trust’s Director of Finance and Digital, said: “The same as households or business premises, the NHS is impacted by fluctuating energy prices.

“While we have seen an increase in this cost when looking at year-on-year comparisons, most of our energy needs are based on tariffs which are negotiated nationally for the NHS as a whole to ensure these essential costs can be competitive and reflect value for money.

The trust has been affected by the rising costs | Photo: Syda / Dreamstime

“As a trust, we are continuing to strengthen our future sustainability and work towards national targets to reduce reliance on heavy fuel oil by 2024 and to be Net Zero on carbon emissions by 2040.

“To date, our efforts have included installing LED lighting in our hospitals at Lincoln, Boston and Grantham, and we have installed a new combined heat and power unit at Lincoln to generate our own heating and electricity.

“These two energy upgrades are expected to generate financial savings of £1.4 million per year and will cut annual carbon emissions by 7,712 tonnes.

“Any new building works, such as the development of our Emergency Departments at Boston and Lincoln hospitals, are being completed to current sustainability standards.”

Consumers saw energy prices jump by up to 50% in April as the price cap was lifted, with experts predicting another big jump in October.

There have been rising warnings of fuel poverty, with lower income households hit worst.