FOI Request - Energy Cost Impact

Request 101003128293

Information relating to any impact assessment carried out by the council on how increased energy costs this winter may affect the following (to include draft policy documents and any correspondence such as letters, memos and emails etc):

1/ Council budgets
2/ Operation of council buildings

Response 07-09-2022

1. The council buys its energy through Scottish Procurement, as they buy gas and electricity on behalf of the Scottish public sector. This means that the price we pay for energy is fixed as of 1 April 2022 until 31 March 2023, therefore the Council is currently protected from price rises until 31 March 2023. We are given price risk guidance from Scottish Procurement throughout the year. This allows us to plan the budget for the coming year and allocate resources accordingly.
The resulting budget pressure from 2023/24 will require the council to increase the savings target which the council will have to meet to balance its budget.

2. The council is committed to reducing its energy consumption and has had a target to reduce energy consumption since 2015, at a rate of 2% every year. The Council has set a goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030, part of this is to reduce our energy consumption. In response to the recent energy cost increases, the council's heating policy is currently under review with a view to making small adjustments to our temperature set points for this coming heating season thus reducing the Council’s consumption.