Small steps – big rewards

When The Theatres Trust’s ‘Ecovenue’ project began, and we started to delve into the murky world of meter cupboards and attitudes to sustainability, we had no real idea what we might find. Some of our discoveries have been more surprising than others. For example, although all venues wanted to improve their recycling rates, send less waste to landfill and were to a greater or lesser degree aware of what their local authority could do for them, there was a lot of uncertainty around what electrical equipment should and shouldn’t be thrown away. Awareness of the scope of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive was limited, and we have been able to clarify exactly what equipment, from hairdryers to smoke alarms, should be being thrown in the general waste and what should be collected separately. Although this type of investigation is fairly simple (just do an internet search for ‘categories of WEEE’), it could have a big effect on the amount and type of waste you are sending to landfill.

We have also been using Display Energy Certificates (DECs) – a building energy-rating, like the A–G rating you might find on a new fridge – to benchmark the performance of our London venues against others nationwide. But based on the data we have been gathering from our Ecovenue beneficiaries and volunteered information from our ‘Theatres DEC Pool’ around the country, in partnership with Julie’s Bicycle, we have identified flaws in the methodology for calculating these ratings, and the recent data we have gathered will inform the next generation of benchmarks, so that performing arts venues can be represented more fairly. I would urge all venues, whether holding a DEC or not, to join our Pool, to continue to refine the data we hold.

Another area we have been working on concerns water tanks. Many venues were keeping the hot water ‘hot’ 24/7, ostensibly over concerns around legionella, the bug that causes Legionnaire’s disease. We have established that this is not necessarily the case: in most cases, an uninterrupted daily hour of the tank at over 60 degrees Celsius is enough for legionella control (though all commercial water installations are different and each should have a legionella control strategy as required by health and safety law). The Tristan Bates Theatre is investigating timers for their tank that could save £500 a year in electricity, just by cutting daily use by six hours.

One of the biggest surprises was the general lack of engagement with the building services. An air of resigned (sometimes sentimental!) acceptance that, “It’s always freezing/boiling in here” is common, with little thought given to why that might be, what might be done about it and how much money could be saved doing something. So often there was a despairing acceptance that, “that’s just how much it costs”. Bills were often not seen by venue managers – rather just signed off and paid by accounts – and even if they were seen little was made of them, and no analysis done, even a comparison of year on year usage. By using online tools (such as SMEasure.co.uk) and more in-depth 5-minute energy meters, we are giving venues a better insight into what exactly is going on and how much it is costing them. We have been able to provide tools to analyse potential savings and the relative costs and benefits of making improvements. The ‘shock’ of discovering that an energy-saving light bulb may cost 13 times more than a conventional one often puts people off from the outset but demonstrating that it will pay back in less than a year makes a powerful argument.

The engagement of all users of a building is crucial. Circus Space is currently running an energy awareness week, with before-and-after research being conducted. This simple measure brings the issue to the fore and makes it a shared responsibility of all venue users rather than a directive imposed from above. This kind of communication is essential. Too many are shy to publicise their achievements for fear of being accused of not being good enough. But a ‘we know we’re not great, but here’s what we’re doing about it’ approach will bring appreciation from venue users, and potentially inspire the public too.

Finally, a meaningful Environmental Policy is absolutely key, requiring buy-in from all levels of the organisation. Wrapping up all aspects of the venue’s environmental impact, from timber procurement and energy policy to waste management and water policy, and then defining roles and responsibilities, makes what seems a large and formless issue manageable in the real world of an arts venue. The innovation and adaptation required to reduce the environmental impact of a theatre happens best within a tailored framework, not an off the shelf one, and will put a venue in a position to communicate to its staff and patrons its commitment to improve the environment for everybody.

Joint Energy Purchasing Group

Larger businesses of all types, including performing arts venues, derive significant savings from the lower energy rates that accompany high-consumption premises. Smaller venues have obviously lower consumption levels, but if they club together, an energy broker can seek a better deal on behalf of the participants. The broker then continually monitors the market to see what deals may be achieved elsewhere, and with participants’ permission can move the supply contract around. Normally, a mutually nominated spokesperson for the participants will accept or reject deals on their behalf, as deals are fleeting, and quick decisions need to be made. We are running a pilot group for the Ecovenue participants – some of whom have paid up to ten times as much as others for energy, depending on when their energy supply contracts were signed. October is the worst time to renegotiate a contract, as energy prices are traditionally at their highest, but coincidentally (or not!) that is when most contracts end. By using an energy broker to ‘buy ahead’, significant savings can be made.