HAMPSHIRE County Council is making 25 of its top energy-consuming buildings more energy efficient to save £200,000 every year.

The council is launching an Energy Performance Project, which will see an investment of £1.4m in 25 of its buildings, making them more energy efficient, and saving in the region of £5m in energy bills over the next 25 years.

The buildings include libraries, activity centres and nursing homes as well as council offices. It will see a number of different technologies installed in order to reduce energy consumption by increasing the efficiency of energy use and reducing energy waste.

The measures will include new lighting with automated controls, motion sensors, new boilers, roof and cavity wall insulation, draught-proofing and much more.

When all the work is complete 200,00kwh of energy will be saved each year, which equates to a carbon reduction of 845 tons per annum. This will be another significant contributor to the county council’s target of reducing carbon emissions by 20 per cent by 2015.

Councillor Mel Kendal, Hampshire County Council’s executive member for income and capital resources, said: “Hampshire County Council is always looking to operate in more energy-efficient ways, save money and reduce its carbon emissions.

“The first phase of the Energy Performance Project will make 25 of our buildings more energy efficient, but we don’t want to stop there, as we would like to continue by supporting other public sector services and schools to do the same in the future. Our property services team are already helping Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service to undertake a similar initiative to their buildings.”