ESB inefficiency - Government must act on energy waste

AFTER coming through the coldest winter in living memory, the public will be cynical about the blatant waste of energy – and taxpayers’ money – in public buildings.

With the state-owned ESB one of the worst offenders, what will gall people is that they are paying through the nose for ESB electricity supplies for cooking, lighting and, in many cases, home heating. Ironically, just when the Government is urging homeowners to save energy by improving the level of insulation in houses, a revealing report puts the spotlight on poor levels of insulation or inefficient energy use in public buildings, resulting in higher fuel bills that are ultimately being met by the taxpayer.

While the age of some buildings may be a factor, this debacle is further evidence, if it were needed, of the lack of accountability in the public service. Astonishingly, around half the 3,000 buildings examined by experts have not yet been graded under a law introduced more than a year ago requiring them to display such ratings publicly on a certificate in their premises. In public relations terms, the revelations in today’s front-page story amount to an own goal by the ESB, Ireland’s biggest energy producer, showing that eight of the company’s buildings received the lowest possible rating while two others scored very poorly in the study of energy efficiency of public buildings.

Not surprisingly, the ESB is currently looking at company-wide measures to improve the efficiency performance of its buildings. Further illustrating the extent of the problem nationally, not one of the 3,000 buildings assessed makes the top grade in a rating scheme run by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) which is designed to expose wastage of electricity, gas and oil, as well as the scale of carbon emissions. The report shows the worst performers include hospitals in Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, and Navan, county libraries in Monaghan and Sligo, plus the Dublin Docklands Development Authority where broader management failures are already under the microscope. Among the best performers are the Abbey Theatre and half a dozen secondary schools in Youghal, Kilkenny, Lanesboro, Dublin and Monaghan. However, the majority of some 1,500 buildings certified had very low grades, with HSE facilities, Government offices, third-level institutions and local authority buildings all scoring poorly. There is a glaring need for state-owned institutions to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings. Like it or not, the argument that many of the buildings in question may have been built in other times is a lame excuse.

In spite of this situation, there is currently no penalty for failing to get assessed or for having a poor rating. If the Government is serious about making Ireland a global leader in sustainable energy, rather than telling people to save energy by changing light bulbs, it should introduce more effective measures to eradicate the appalling waste of energy in public buildings under its control.