Reducing energy use is one of the simplest ways CHP building users can help lower carbon emissions, reduce costs and support more sustainable healthcare environments.
Community Health Partnerships is targeting energy reduction as a priority at our 308 healthcare buildings because energy consumption accounts for a significant proportion of estate emissions and operating costs.
Why Energy Use Matters
The way tenants and NHS staff use our buildings has a direct impact on energy consumption, carbon emissions and operating costs. While improvements to building systems and infrastructure are important, the actions of building users can make a significant difference.
By using energy responsibly, we can help create better healthcare environments while supporting wider sustainability goals:
- Lower carbon emissions supporting the NHS Net Zero ambitions for a #GreenerNHS.
- Reduced energy and utility costs.
- Improved building efficiency and operational performance.
- More comfortable environments with better air quality.
- Better experiences for staff, patients and visitors.
Simple Actions You Can Take
Lighting
- Use natural daylight, where possible, before switching on the lights.
- Switch off lights in unoccupied rooms.
- Make the most of daylight where it is safe and practical to do so.
- Use lighting responsibly, even where LED upgrades have been installed.
Equipment
- Turn off equipment when it is not needed and use power-saving settings, wherever possible.
- Turn off monitors, printers and non-essential equipment at the end of the day.
Cooling and Ventilation
- Keep windows and doors closed when cooling systems are operating (if required by the system in use).
- Do not obstruct thermostats or ventilation grills.
- Report rooms that are consistently too hot or too cold.
Everyday choices - energy saving habits
- Use power-saving settings on IT equipment.
- Only boil the amount of water needed in kettles.
- Share printers, where practical, rather than using multiple devices.
- Avoid using additional fridges and portable plug-in fans.
Think before you use equipment
Ask yourself:
- Do I need this light switched on? Could I use daylight instead?
- Is this equipment needed right now?
- Have I switched everything off before leaving?
Small actions carried out consistently across a building can lead to significant reductions in energy use and carbon emissions.
Read: Energy saving tips for CHP tenants (Sept 2024)
Switch it off, use only what you need.
Please report issues to the Helpdesk.
Together we can reduce costs, lower carbon emissions and create a more sustainable NHS estate.
Working Together: Investing in renewable energy
Hundreds of photo voltaic panels have been installed across CHP sites in Hull at Newington Health Centre, Alexandra Health Centre, and Marfleet Health Centre. In partnership with Hull Citycare (LIFTCo), and Sewell Group, CHP has successfully delivered these solar panel projects, expanding renewable energy generation technology across more CHP LIFT buildings. The projects are reducing carbon emissions, costs to tenants and helping futureproof NHS facilities.
Hull photo voltaic energy generation highlights:
- Marfleet Health Centre
The panels are providing over 40% of the building’s electricity needs since installation in April 2025. On sunny days the panels generate enough energy to cover 100% of the building’s electricity demand. - Alexandra Health Centre and Newington Health Centre
Installed in February 2026, the panels have capacity to provide nearly all the energy needs of both centres, with any surplus generation fed back to the National Grid. The forecast savings are £18,000 per year across the two buildings.
There are 75 CHP LIFT buildings with solar panels across the portfolio:
- 42 buildings with photo voltaic panels that produce electricity. This is the type of panel installed at Health Centres in Hull.
- 33 buildings with solar thermal panels. These panels are full of water, which is heated by the sun, and flows into the heating system. This avoids heating the water from cold.
CHP Tenant Hub
The tenant hub covers information for CHP tenants on health and safety, sustainability, facilities management including HardFM, and SoftFM, leases, charges and billing.
In addition there is information on bookable rooms and filming at our premises.
Creating a greener, healthier future for our communities
Download: Green Plan 2026–2029 Driving a Sustainable Future (PDF)
CHP tenants: If you have any queries about the Green Plan, please contact the CHP Sustainability team.
Sustainability at CHP
As part of the NHS family, CHP supports the NHS ambition to deliver the world’s first net-zero health system. Sustainable Facilities are one of our five strategic aims and sustainability is one of our four corporate social responsibility pillars. Aligning with the NHS target of achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2040, the team at CHP are committed to achieve Net Zero Carbon for the LIFT estate by 2040 and 2030 for our corporate functions.
