Facts and Figures
Serious about saving energy There has never been a more important time to save energy. Find out more about the University'senergy saving projects and Carbon Management Plan to see what we are doing. To find out what you can do see the Energy Awareness Campaign for information on smart energy saving actions you can take at home and on campus. |
Understanding electricity trends
The blue bars on the chart below show the electricity consumption figures for the last five years and the projects figure for this year.
Until 2007/08 electricity use has increased year on year. Reasons for this trend include:
- More ICT equipment
- Increased use of air conditioning (where facilities exist)
- New Buildings specifying more pieces of electrical equipment and more sophisticated temperature controls
The projected electricity use for this year (2008/09) is equal to last year's consumption as, through increased investment in energy saving projects and a campus-wideenergy awareness campaign, the University hopes to realise energy savings across campus as outlined in the Carbon Management Plan.
Understanding the gas trends
The red bars on the chart above show the gas consumption figures for the last five years and the projected figure for this year.
Year on year gas consumption has fallen. There are a number of contributing factors causing this trend. These include:
- Improvements in efficiency of heating systems
- Improvements in the insulation of buildings
- Warmer outside temperatures require less gas to heat buildings up.
Understanding electricity trends
The blue bars on the chart below show the electricity cost figures for the last five years and the projected figure for this year. Electricity costs about three times more than gas per unit (Kilowatt hour, KWh). Over the last five years the University's electricity use has been rising causing costs to rise too. Following sharp price rises in the last two years this has meant significant rises in energy costs. 
In 2008/09 the University aims to halt the trend in rising electricity use, aiming to use the same amount of electricity as last year. However as the unit price of electricity has risen by abound 25 per cent since last year the University still expects its highest ever electricity bill in 2008/09.
Understanding gas trends
The red bars on the chart above show the gas cost figures for the last five years and the projected figure for this year.
Even though the University is using less gas year on year the rising fuel prices outweigh this saving causing a trend of rising gas costs.