reducing energy costs in care homes

Reducing energy costs in care homes without compromising care provision

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Care homes are increasingly under scrutiny on the news, with quality of care at the forefront of stories reported in the media. In a difficult economic climate, care homes, like many others, are increasingly having to be more savvy about where savings can be made, so that they can afford to employ suitably qualified care staff and buy the equipment needed to help them do their jobs.

Spiralling energy costs, and the snowball effect on funding care provision

One of the most significant costs to care homes is the energy used to heat buildings and water, which makes up around 40% of a typical care home’s energy bill. Lighting alone uses 5% of a care home’s energy supply, and whilst this might sound modest, because electricity is more expensive than gas, this can actually account for around 20%[1] of a home’s total energy costs.

A recent study by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) [2], found that some of the key challenges facing nursing homes included lack of equipment, and a shortage of staff, two issues that are no doubt the product of a lack of finances to fund them, finances that may well be being absorbed by energy bills.

Optimum care, minimum costs

There are certain energy-saving steps that can be taken in any residential setting, from turning down the room thermostat, switching off lights when people are not occupying a room, or ensuring TVs are switched off when not in use. However, in a care home setting, there are also certain situations where energy provision cannot be compromised. Heating is one such area, due to the need to maintain consistent comfort levels for residents and continuous lighting in common areas to avoid unnecessary falls is another. The challenge for care home managers is how to save energy costs without compromising comfort and safety levels.

BlueGEN is a fuel cell generator that transforms gas into electricity to provide continuous power generation, which reduces the amount of electricity that a care home must buy from the grid. The generator also reduces energy costs for hot water – a boon considering heating and hot water can account for over 40% of a typical care home’s energy use.

Supporting technologies

To get the best possible savings, there are other technologies that can be installed in care homes with minimal disruption to their residents. LED lights being one which, like BlueGEN, can be installed at no cost to the care home. As well as saving on energy costs, other advantages of LED lighting include reduced maintenance costs, because LED bulbs last significantly longer than standard bulbs.

The bigger picture

By replacing standard lights with LEDs, a care home’s energy use will be reduced, and by installing a BlueGEN the overall consumption can be reduced further. When the two things happen together, the reduction in energy bills is substantial, and the home’s exposure to rising energy costs is limited. In today’s tough economic environment, this could be the difference between a care home’s survival or closure.

Help reduce the environmental impact of UK care homes

According to an NHS report [3], the residential care sector accounts for at least 3.4m tonnes CO2 each year, and almost £1.1bn in natural resource costs. The report added that: “Sustainable care homes are becoming an increasingly important area. The UK has a growing older population, increasing natural resource costs and a requirement through the Climate Change Act to cut CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050?. BlueGEN’s high efficiency, particularly when coupled with other initiatives such as LED lighting, could significantly reduce CO2 emissions for care homes. If you would like to register your interest (with no obligation) in having BlueGEN installed in your care home click here (link to sign up page).

/b>References

1. http://www.touchstoneservices.co.uk/resources/CARE+HOMES.pdf

2.http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/438667/Persistent_challenges_to_providing_quality_care_v5.pdf

3. http://www.edie.net/news/6/NHS-report-reveals-environmental-impact-of-UK-care-homes/23063/

August 28, 2013 Leave a reply



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