Leisure Energy’s former Managing Director, Robin Roberts reveals the opportunity for making significant savings at Local Authority leisure centres in the December issue of Campbell Ticket’s CT Brief.
“Sport England says swimming is second only to walking as th nation’s most popular physical activity. This is no surprise considering 78 per cent of the UK’s population live within two miles of a public swimming pool. However, it is
estimated that to run the UK’s sports facilities, the sector spends more than £700 million on energy every year and emits 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, too.
In a typical sports centre, energy costs will be second only to staffing costs and account for as much as 30 per cent of total running costs. When these significant running costs are considered, along with an acknowledgement that public swimming facilities in England have generally suffered from underfunding and are in need of constant maintenance and repair, it is no surprise that it is a challenge for operators and local authorities to keep some pools open.
Savings opportunity Energy consumption, coupled with the strong likelihood of increasing utility prices, continue to have a significant impact on the success or failure of a leisure facility – particularly one with a swimming pool. So, what if the sector could significantly reduce its energy consumption?
The leisure operator, whether a not-for-profit organisation or a local authority, could use these energy savings to prevent a facility from closing or invest them into improving the centre to generate more funds to support community outreach work.”
Read more in CT brief December issue
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