The Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust has reduced its energy costs by nearly £7,500 a day.

It follows the installation of a combined heat and power (CHP) plant, with the hospitals seeing an energy spend reduction of more than £231,000 in the first month’s full service of the CHP.

Vital Energi replaced old boilers in John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospitals with a CHP engine, new combi boilers and associated upgrades.

It also replaced 6,407 light fittings with energy efficient ones.

The energy firm has guaranteed the project will save the Trust more than £460,000 a year on its energy bills for 25 years.

The two hospitals, which share the energy centre, are connected via a 2.2km link, which includes district heating pipework and communications cabling.

The new energy and heating infrastructure is expected to cut the Trust’s carbon emissions by 10,0000 tonnes per year – equivalent to the emissions of 4,000 homes.

Claire Hennessy, Head of OUH Operational Estates and Facilities Mangement, said: “This is a new era of sustainable energy provision for the Trust. For the first time in decades, we are going into the winter with reliable heat and power, while also cutting our CO emissions and saving on our energy bills and backlog maintenance.”