REPORT TO PICKMERE PARISH COUNCIL
4th October 2022
AGENDA ITEM 7.4 ENERGY PROVISION AT THE VILLAGE HALL AND THE TURTON PAVILION
1. REPORT
1.1 The Council’s 3-year fixed term contracts for the supply of gas and electricity at the Village Hall expired at the end of September and the beginning of October. Accordingly it has been necessary to consider how continuing supplies can be achieved at the minimum cost, particularly bearing in mind the current situation with regard to energy supply costs globally.
1.2 This has not proved easy, since as members will be well aware, energy costs have been extremely volatile, changing daily.
1.3 For the Village Hall, 1-year contracts with British Gas have now been confirmed for both gas and electricity, commencing at the expiry of the old 3-year contracts which were with a smaller company. However the standing charge costs and costs per kWh in the new contracts are very substantially greater than in the old contracts – around 4-5 times as seems usual at the moment.
1.4 The current contract for the supply of electricity to the Turton Pavilion expires in the early 2023, and a 1-year contract with British Gas running from that moment has been confirmed. There is no gas supply to the Pavilion.
1.5 The Government’s recent announcements in relation to the supply of energy to commercial customers would appear to mean that for a 6-month period at least energy costs will be significantly subsidised, notwithstanding the fixed contract rates. However the amount of relief this will provide is not yet clear. The draft budget for 2023-24 will have to make assumptions in this respect, and it is hoped to start consideration of that at the November Council meeting.
2. RECOMMENDATION
2.1 That the report be noted.
Jack Steel
Clerk to the Parish Council