Improving the energy performance of the public estate is not just an environmental ambition but a financial necessity. Rising energy costs combined with ageing buildings mean that councils need reliable ways to reduce running costs and modernise their assets.
The forthcoming Re:fit 5 National Energy and Carbon Performance Contracting Framework offers a market-leading way for organisations to upgrade their estate while delivering guaranteed financial savings. Building on more than a decade of delivery, the new framework continues to provide key features that matter most to stretched public bodies. It offers a streamlined route to market, independent performance measurement, flexible procurement options and support for investment models that minimise pressure on balance sheets.
Through previous iterations of the Re:fit framework, public bodies have already delivered hundreds of millions of pounds of investment into their buildings. Those who have engaged with it have generated substantial annual budget savings through more efficient technologies.
For many organisations, these savings have unlocked wider benefits too. Among these are improved comfort for staff and building users, fewer unplanned outages and better overall asset reliability.
An example of this approach is the programme delivered with Swansea Bay University Health Board, where improvements were made across eight major sites. By modernising lighting, ventilation and building management systems, and integrating onsite renewable generation, the health board has been able to reduce its energy costs significantly while improving the quality and resilience of its estate.
Crucially, the solutions were phased and tailored to the specific needs and constraints of each hospital. This ensures that the programme delivered practical and affordable upgrades rather than expensive whole building overhauls.
Local Partnerships supported the health board throughout from assessing opportunities, shaping the procurement strategy and reviewing business cases, through to providing post-construction assurance so that savings promised on paper translate into savings delivered in real budgets.
As well as this, Local Partnerships has supported public bodies across the UK to reduce estate operating costs.
If you are looking to improve the financial performance of your buildings, please get in touch with us at refit@localpartnerships.gov.uk.
Tony Lawson is a Director at Local Partnerships
