Norfolk’s councils are grappling with escalating energy bills, doubling for most and even tripling for one, as revealed by recent figures.
The data compiled by energy consultancy firm Box Power shows that Broadland Council witnessed the steepest increase at 208%, followed by North Norfolk with a 161% rise and Norwich City Council facing a 118% hike.
Norfolk County Council recorded the highest total energy bill, soaring from £4,695,667 in 2022 to £7,459,117 last year.
This surge in costs adds significant financial pressure to local authorities already dealing with budget deficits.
A North Norfolk District Council spokesperson told Energy Live News: “Like many authorities, North Norfolk District Council has seen energy prices increase across its Estate.
“At our offices, we have invested in insulation, low energy lighting and solar panels to reduce our energy usage and costs. Similar energy efficiency measures (such as LED lighting, insulation and upgrades to windows) are taking place across our estate including improvements to our toilets, industrial units and our own energy generation from the solar car port at the Reef Leisure Centre.”
Councillor Jane James, Norfolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Innovation, said: “It’s no secret that energy prices rose dramatically following the Russian invasion of Ukraine: while Norfolk County Council always looks to buy energy at the best possible value via the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) framework, which has secured energy at below market rates for a number of years, these prices rises did have an impact on us as well.
“While energy costs have come down from their peak, we’ve been working hard to make the County Council’s estate as efficient as possible, to reduce the cost to taxpayers but also to be mindful of the impact on our environment.
“Our energy costs are incurred throughout Norfolk, not only in County Council buildings but at every streetlight or pelican crossing in our county: to reduce our energy use we’ve rolled out a number of initiatives, including LED streetlighting as well as introducing a range of energy efficient upgrades at our offices, libraries and depots, from replacing fossil fuel based heating where appropriate to installing improved insulation.
“As a result, we have reduced the electricity and gas usage significantly since 2017. There’s more work to do, and we’re continuing to make the changes and upgrades to our estate where necessary, but we’re well on the way to a more efficient – and in energy terms, lower demand – future.”
Energy Live News has approached Norwich City Council and Broadland Council for comment.
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