Co-op shops given energy makeover

Co-operative has upgraded 260 of its food stores to make them more energy efficient.

Around 18GWh per year of energy saved has been saved by the upgrades, enough to power 800 homes or 4,000 cars.

The scheme is part of plans by the supermarket to reduce its energy consumption 25%.

Alex Pitman, Co-op’s energy efficiency manager, said: “The Co-operative has always had a pro-active stance on climate and energy issues.

“We wanted to ensure that these measures were not just environmentally but also financially viable.”

Key to Co-op’s plans is 24 hour energy monitoring.

This keeps track of the energy used by lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning in Coop stores - enabling simple energy saving changes to be made without the company having to purchase expensive new equipment.