Sustainable Energy Management in Small Animal Veterinary Practice

Energy use in the UK veterinary sector contributes significantly to operating costs and carbon emissions because clinics require continuous heating, lighting, medical and diagnostic equipment, refrigeration for medicines and IT systems, often around the clock.

While specific national data for veterinary practices is limited, business energy analyses suggest that energy can account for around 20% of a veterinary facility’s total spending, reflecting high electricity and gas demands compared with other small businesses.For context, the average UK business uses around 23MWh of energy per year, with smaller enterprises consuming between 5,000–15,000kWh of electricity annually. Veterinary practices are likely to sit at the higher end of this range due to their equipment and, in many cases, 24/7 operational needs.

With the UK aiming to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency across sectors, veterinary practices can achieve potential energy savings through a variety of measures that reduce bills and support broader sustainability goals.

Making the case for sustainable change

ENERGY SAVINGS = COST SAVINGS

Simple changes can help the planet AND save your practice money - win, win!

Government business grants can help fund bigger changes such as installing low-carbon heating systems, renewable generation technologies and upgrading insulation - check what’s available.

A growing majority of people are becoming more discerning about the businesses they choose to use, and sustainability is a large part of this. Showing that your practice cares about its impact on the planet will help win eco-conscious clients and improve their bond with your practice.

Audit your energy consumption

It is really useful to make a start by auditing your current energy management practices and using the results to guide where changes can be easily made.

Record which energy saving measures your practice already uses against the ‘Sustainable Energy Checklist’ and then use it to guide improvements. Regular repeat auditing can monitor progress and highlight areas for further change.

Relevant Vet Sustain case studies are available on our website for inspiration and to see how sustainable energy management can be implemented in real-life practice - see especially: Paragon Veterinary Group, The Minster Veterinary Practice, Brookfield Vets.

Sustainable Energy Use Considerations in Practice

• Consider the source of your energy

  • 100% green energy tariff - one of the easiest and biggest impact changes!

  • Onsite generation (e.g. rooftop solar PV panels, wind turbines)

• Monitor energy usage and set targets to drive reduction

• Consider the energy efficiency of your building - improving insulation and keeping it air tight helps to make it as energy efficient as possible

  • Check your building’s EPC at https://www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate and see what improvements have been suggested

  • Insulation (cavity wall and roof space) - building regulations around insulation levels are a minimum requirement; the more insulation you use, the more energy you save!

  • Draft-proof leaky windows and doors and use draft excluders

  • Double/triple glazing for improved insulation

• Manage your lighting

  • Change your lightbulbs - LED light bulbs are around 80% more energy efficient, last up to 25 times longer and provide better quality light for clinical work; don’t forget to check bulbs in storerooms, uplighters, desk lamps etc.

  • Motion activated lights help to reduce wasted energy and take the pressure off staff having to remember to turn lights off

  • Make use of daylight instead of using electric lighting where possible (e.g.lights parallel to windows or in corridors)

  • Ensure external lights are off during daylight hours - automatic timers can be helpful but make sure they are changed seasonally

  • Keep light fittings clean to maximise effectiveness

  • Keep windows and skylights clean and clear to maximise natural daylight - also improves staff wellbeing

• Employ energy-efficient heating and cooling practices

  • Draw up a practice heating and cooling policy including measures to reduce energy consumption; share this with the practice team

  • Ensure heating and AC are only used when required and set to the lowest/highest comfortable temperature

  • Doors/windows should never be left open with the heating/AC on

  • AC should never be running at the same time as heating

  • Utilise automatic timer functions to ensure heating/AC units are off when rooms are not in use - one less thing for staff to have to remember to turn off!

  • Use ‘automatic’ mode for combined AC/heating units and just adjust the temperature as needed (more energy efficient than manually changing modes)

  • Lower temperatures overnight to 16-18°C - also provides a better sleep environment for patients

  • Utilise patient-specific warming methods where clinically appropriate rather than increasing overall ambient temperature

  • Ensure any internal blinds or curtains are closed at night during cold weather to reduce heat loss

  • Use internal shading with blinds or curtains and keep windows closed during the day but open overnight during hot weather to reduce heat

  • Use fans and air coolers preferentially to AC where possible

  • Ensure AC units are serviced regularly to prevent coolant leaks - refrigerants are extremely potent greenhouse gases

  • Replace fossil fuel powered heating systems where possible - air or ground source heat pump systems provide lower carbon heating

  • Use AC systems for heating preferentially to gas heating if you have both - if you're on a renewable electricity tariff, this will give you lower carbon heating; an AC heating unit is, in effect, an air source heat pump

  • Set boiler water temperatures to 55-60°C

  • Insulate hot water cylinders and piping

  • Replace hot water tanks with more efficient versions

  • Thermostatic radiator valves: set these to ‘frost protect’ for rooms not in active use and ensure they are maintained in good working order

  • Avoid blocking radiators with boxes, furniture etc. - restricts air circulation and makes heating less efficient

  • Use reflective panels behind radiators

  • Avoid portable electric heaters - not very energy efficient

• Make sure your appliances are as energy efficient as possible

  • Choose A* rated white goods - generally cheaper to run as well

  • Ensure regular maintenance - will save on energy use and running costs

  • Perform regular checks to ensure fridge and freezer thermostats are working effectively and are set to the correct temperature - also helps avoid potential stock losses due to malfunctions

  • Keep fridge and freezer units as far away from heat sources as possible to maximise running efficiency

  • Defrost freezer units frequently to maximise efficiency

• Be smart with your laundry

  • Always ensure the machine has a full load before commencing a wash

  • Wash at lower temperatures where possible - 40°C with an appropriate detergent is adequate for most unsoiled patient bedding

  • Appropriate segregation of laundry to minimise washes needing higher temperatures

  • Hang washing outside on a washing line to dry in good weather to save on energy use

• Ensure energy efficient equipment use

  • Reduce brightness on computer monitors to reduce energy consumption - also helps reduce eye strain

  • Switch off equipment (computers, printers, ultrasound, x-ray etc.) when not in use

  • Programme automatic ‘sleep’ mode on computers when idle for a set time period

  • Avoid ‘standby’ settings in favour of full shut down for TVs, projectors, printers etc.

  • Set photocopiers and fax machines to ‘energy-saving’ mode

  • Only boil the amount of water you need in the kettle; keep any excess hot water in a flask for later use

  • Switch to a wall-mounted water boiler for hot drinks if demand is high enough - more energy efficient than boiling the kettle multiple times

  • Switch off microwaves at the plug socket when not in use

• Empower your team

  • Ensure that all staff know how to correctly maintain and switch off all relevant equipment - supply instructions where needed

  • Brief team members on the practice energy management policy, the reasons for, and benefits of, employing energy saving techniques so that everyone is on board

  • Assign someone at the end of each day/shift to do a ‘switch off’ round of the practice to ensure nothing has been left running unnecessarily

  • Use switch off reminders (e.g. stickers on all computer monitors, light switches and other equipment, reminding staff to switch them off when not in use), posters and guidance documents to help staff conserve energy

  • Run ‘switch off’ campaigns, energy saving competitions etc. – make it fun to encourage engagement!