Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is saving money on its energy bills in Crewe, with a new solar panel development at Leighton Hospital funded by Great British Energy.

The NHS is the single biggest public sector energy user, with an estimated annual energy bill of around £1.3 billion, that has almost doubled since 2019.

Over the past 12 months, the Great British Energy and NHS collaboration has helped more than 260 NHS sites in England save money on bills through the solar roll-out scheme, savings that can be reinvested into frontline services.

Last year, the Trust was awarded £32,612 to install solar panels at Leighton Hospital, helping to generate clean power and deliver reductions in energy costs.

92 roof-top solar panels were installed in April and are now live.

The £32k Leighton Hospital solar development will generate an estimated 34,000kWh of electricity a year for the site (Photo: Jonathan White).

The array will generate an estimated 34,000kWh of electricity a year for the site, which is the equivalent of powering more than 12 average UK homes for a year.

Board Senior Responsible Officer for Healthier Futures & Estates Redevelopment, Russ Favager, said: "I'm very proud of everyone at the Trust who delivered this project, from initial application development and submission, right through to installation and commissioning.

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"Reducing our energy costs will help to support our long-term financial plans as we continue to provide the best possible standards of healthcare."

The development is expected to save Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust around £9,500 annually, while also supporting the Trust's Green Plan.

Chief Sustainability Officer at NHS England, Chris Gormley, said: "As Great British Energy marks its first year, it's fantastic that 162 NHS sites, including Leighton Hospital, have completed their solar installations.

"This represents important progress in expanding solar generation across the NHS because every pound saved on energy bills is a pound that can go back into patient care. These solar panels are helping trusts across the country do exactly that.

"Together with Great British Energy, we're building an NHS that is greener, more sustainable and better placed to serve patients for years to come."

This work supports the trust's Environmental and Social Responsibility Plan, combining NHS net zero carbon ambitions with broader social priorities to reduce health inequalities, enhance wellbeing and provide support across the community.

Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband said: "We set up Great British Energy because it is only fair we have clean homegrown power that is owned by and for the British people.

"In their first year they are already delivering - cutting bills for hundreds of schools and hospitals, setting out plans to back 1,000 community energy projects, investing millions to develop our clean energy supply chains, and backing new projects that will create thousands of jobs."

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READ MORE: Six new homes proposed for field in Crewe village.

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