The report explains that while most councils have energy policies, their quality varies and they are seldom integrated into councils’ corporate policy frameworks. A majority have assigned responsibility for energy and water management to a senior officer or member, but their effectiveness is being undermined by poor quality action plans and unreliable information that makes it difficult to monitor performance.  The report emphasises that councils need to strengthen their management of energy and water if they are to achieve significant reductions in consumption and costs. Energy efficiency considerations should be built into asset management plans and procurement decisions, and councils should engage with users of energy and water to secure their commitment to and involvement in reducing consumption.

The report also suggests councils together consider if staff resources for energy and water management are adequate, and explore opportunities for collaborative working.   Auditor General for Wales, Jeremy Colman said today: ”Councils can reduce their consumption and costs considerably if they manage energy and water more effectively. There are signs that councils are building energy-efficiency measures into new projects, and this is encouraging. But so far they are failing to fully grasp the opportunity. They need to do more to help staff understand how they can reduce energy and water consumption and provide incentives for departments and staff to make efficiency savings.”

Notes to Editors:

• The Wales Audit Office was funded by the Wales Improvement Board, as part of the regulatory programme for 2004/2005, to carry out this improvement study across all councils in Wales.

• Following consultation with relevant parties, the Wales Audit Office has examined the energy and water management arrangements in all 22 unitary authorities in Wales, and has reported its findings to each council together with its recommendations for improvement.

• The study was confined to councils’ non-domestic buildings and it examined whether energy and water are managed effectively in local government.  In parallel with this study, Value Wales (Procurement) was examining the way in which energy is procured across the whole of the public sector in Wales.

• The Wales Audit Office is independent of government and is responsible for the annual audit of some £19 billion of annual public expenditure.

• The Wales Audit Office was created in April 2005 through the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004, which expanded the functions of the Auditor General for Wales and enabled the transfer of staff from the Audit Commission in Wales and National Audit Office in Wales to his employment.   Ends  For more information, please contact Rachel Moss (Communications Manager) on 02920 262 675 or email rachel.moss@wao.gov.uk