Stagecoach cuts energy use by nearly 50%

Stagecoach has cut energy consumption at its bus depots in the UK following the introduction of an upgraded energy management system. The operator has a Vickers Electronics energy management system in place that controls heating and lighting at its 110 UK depots. In 2011 it committed to upgrading this technology, which now allows it to improve monitoring and control of its gas heating through the introduction of hi-tech control panels. Results suggest the equipment has helped Stagecoach save around 55,000tonnes of CO2 in the past ten years, which it claimed is the equivalent of the emissions produced by powering 22,000 homes for a year.

A recent sample of results from 19 individual Stagecoach UK Bus depots showed a reduction in energy consumption of around 46% when comparing the summer months (June, July and August) of 2012 with the same months in 2013. When the sample results were projected across all of Stagecoach’s 110 depots, they equated to an environmental saving of a further 280tonnes of CO2 and a financial saving of over £45,000 during the period of the comparison. The company has invested over £2.2m in the Vickers system.