The council's energy bill currently runs at around £16.8million a year (2005/6) and, without major changes, could rise to an estimated £22.7million by 2012/13 as energy prices increase - reducing our carbon footprint will help to prevent this price increase being reflected in Council Tax.

Hertfordshire has been working towards reducing energy consumption for some time and between 1996 and 2006 managed to cut carbon emissions from its property alone by nearly a third.

The new Strategic Implementation Plan for the next five years - adopts an "Invest to Save" policy and will include introducing schools energy advisors to encourage a reduction in the use of energy in the county's schools, installing Smart metering in schools, which highlights energy wastage, and reducing business mileage across the whole council.

Caroline Tapster, Chief Executive, Hertfordshire County Council, said: "Reaching and exceeding the 25% target requires investment in terms of money, people and infrastructure, from buildings to light bulbs, to deliver the actions. It will also require considerable cultural change across the organisation in terms of the perception and attitudes to energy use and carbon management.

"With this strategy in place, we are confident that we can make a significant reduction in carbon emissions and the county's contribution to climate change."

9:02am Wednesday 16th April 2008

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