NHS England’s net zero strategy sets two clear targets: net zero by 2040 for emissions the NHS controls directly and 2045 for those it can influence, supported by major interim reductions well before those dates.
Green Plans are the delivery mechanism, providing a structured, three-year plan for each NHS Trust and Integrated Care System (ICS) to set out the carbon reduction initiatives already underway and the actions they will take next.
This three-year cycle is designed to balance immediate carbon reductions with the capability-building required to sustain progress, aligned directly to the national priorities, actions and timescales set out in Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service.
The fastest route to credible progress is to eliminate avoidable energy waste first, especially out-of-hours base load, using smart technology solutions that are quick to deploy, deliver measurable ROI and avoid major CAPEX.
An NHS primary care provider in the North of England wanted to reduce energy consumption and associated carbon emissions in line with Greener NHS ambition, but lacked visibility into what was driving persistent “always-on” consumption.
The campus building was drawing a constant 1.2 kWh per hour, 24/7, including nights and weekends.
This equated to an estimated annual energy consumption of 10,512 kWh and an annual spend of £3,000+, without insight into which behaviours, assets, or settings were driving the waste.
The team didn’t need a passive dashboard, they needed practical, prioritised control actions that could be implemented quickly without disrupting critical care and patient access.
Non-invasive EI. Energy Control System IoT sensor technology was installed to site energy distribution meters to enable continuous, real-time data capture and presentation to multiple functional leads including general management, finance and facilities.
This Practice team was supported with expert interpretation from EI’s Energy Gurus in collaborative energy workshops to prioritise actions.
Rapid visibility of out-of-hours base load
EI. dashboards and analytics revealed consistently high overnight and weekend consumption, an indicator of avoidable base load and “phantom” energy use.
Energy intelligence, translating data into action
EI.’s Energy Gurus worked with the practice team to interpret patterns, validate root causes, and create a short, high-impact action list that the site could execute immediately.
A practical control plan (low disruption, low capex)
Immediate interventions prioritised included:
EI. data indicated sustained overnight consumption. Investigation identified multiple computers being left on to avoid morning boot-up times.
EI.’s consumption and cost comparisons helped demonstrate the inefficiency of that practice and supported a behavioural change for the site team, enabling all of the team to take personal and team accountability for ‘energy conscious’ decision making as part of their daily routines, including formalising the shutdown of multiple machines overnight.
Energy Control
Average overnight consumption reduced from 1.426 kWh to 1.012 kWh per hour. Estimated annual electricity saving: 1,399.32 kWh (13-hour overnight period, 5 weekdays/week, 52 weeks/year)
Operational Control
Introduced a simple, repeatable operating routine to prevent ‘silent’ out-of-hours waste, supporting better estate discipline with minimal additional workload.
Margin Control
Reduced avoidable spend by tackling consumption that previously sat invisibly within the bill, turning an unmanaged overhead into a controllable cost.
Energy Intelligence (technology + expert support)
The differentiator wasn’t just visibility; it was moving quickly from insight to action, enabling practical changes that delivered measurable results.
This GP practice case study illustrates the type of low-capex, fast-ROI progress that can be delivered inside the Green Plan cycle, especially where NHS Trusts and ICS’s need to:
