Council’s efficiency upgrades cuts gas use by 25% at leisure centres

Energy saving improvements have dramatically reduced gas usage in leisure centres thanks to investments made by Epping Forest District Council.

Loughton Leisure Centre, Ongar Leisure Centre, and Waltham Abbey Leisure Centre successfully reduced their carbon footprint through targeted energy reduction measures, effectively cutting carbon emissions and operational expenses.

The Council has invested in the following improvements:
• Pool covers at Ongar Leisure Centre and Waltham Abbey Leisure Centre
• LED lighting conversions at Loughton Leisure and Ongar Leisure Centre
• Variable speed drives at Loughton Leisure Centre
• New Building Management System at Loughton Leisure Centre

These improvements have already made a significant impact, reducing the centres’ operating costs and benefiting the environment. Since their installation in May of this year, gas usage has already been slashed by nearly 25%.

The general manager at Ongar Leisure Centre, Jackie Pearce, commented on the new installations: “I am pleased that we now have a major resource to aid our challenge to reduce energy consumption at the Epping Forest leisure centres. This comes at a time when prices have risen dramatically, and businesses are finding it hard to sustain their place in the industry. We have already recorded in the month of June a 37% reduction in our gas usage at Ongar Leisure Centre, which these improvements are definitely a contributing factor, along with the good weather we have had.

“We have full confidence in the measures we are taking to aid both business growth and lowering our carbon footprint. The fact that our customers have noticed and felt the benefits from this is the absolute icing on the cake, and it further cements that the investment has made a positive difference.”
Improving the local environment

Councillor Raymond Balcombe, Portfolio Holder for Contracts, Service Delivery and Improvement, said: “Decarbonising our leisure centres is an important step to achieving the Council’s Climate Change Action Plan, in support of the Council’s declaration to become carbon neutral by 2030, and also support improved health and wellbeing for our communities. In an attempt to consider new eco-friendly technologies across our centres, the improvements quickly demonstrated the success of energy saving improvements that have been adopted at our leisure centres.”