Fire authority chiefs have given the go-ahead to a scheme that will save the London Fire Brigade almost £1million on its energy bills over the next 10 years.

Under the scheme, ten stations will receive a green makeover that will help cut energy bills by £80,000 a year, saving a total of 440 tonnes of CO² each year - equivalent to the height of The Monument to the Great Fire of London. Hammersmith Fire Station alone will see its carbon emissions reduced by as much as 44 per cent.

The work is part of the Mayor of London's RE:FIT programme and will be the brigade's second wave of buildings after the first ten were completed last year. The scheme also includes buildings owned by Transport for London, the Met Police and the Greater London Authority Group. 

The green measures will cut energy bills at the fire stations and will mean that the new green technology will pay for itself. Some of the features fitted at the ten stations included solar panels that turn the sun's rays into electricity, motion censored lights and energy efficient boilers.

Chairman and Leader of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority Councillor Brian Coleman AM, FRSA, said: "This authority has once again shown its full support for the Mayor's vision for a greener London. This scheme is a win-win as it pays for its self in the long term by bringing down our energy bills and saving taxpayers' hard earned money."

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "Hats off to the London Fire Brigade for giving ten more fire stations a fabulous green makeover. This scheme not only saves the fire brigade and the taxpayer a huge £80,000 a year in energy bills that can be better spent keeping Londoners safe, but it helps cut our carbon emissions too." 

London Fire Brigade's green projects led to savings of £260,000 in 2009/10 and over the last five years the brigade has saved over £1 million. Despite the organisation growing overall, carbon emissions from its buildings are down by over 20 per cent on 1990 levels.

 

Posted: 10.54am, 24.03.11