31 October 2008 13:55
E.ON SOURCE grant brings big savings for Jesmond swimming pool

Thanks to E.ON's SOURCE community fund Jesmond swimming pool last year received £19,000 towards the cost of installing a solar thermal system to heat their pool.

Now fully operational, the system is already saving the team money as well as cutting carbon emissions.

The solar installation made up of 11 solar panels, formed the key part of the swimming pool's lower carbon project, which also included reducing unnecessary energy usage for example by upgrading to a more efficient water pump.

The solar thermal system is expected to save the swimming pool around 5,350kg of carbon dioxide emissions this year as well as a whooping £1,500 off of their fuel bill.

Glenn Armstrong, chief executive of Jesmond Swimming Project, said: "We're delighted to have received this funding and very happy with the final result. Not only has the solar installation helped us to decrease our carbon footprint, it's also cut our energy bills.

"Visitors to the pool can view the system output on our display at the entrance. It's amazing to see in action the difference we're making to the environment."

Tony Jenkin-Jones, Community Relations Executive at E.ON, said: "Energy bills are high on people's list of concerns right now and, if we can help community groups to become more energy efficient, not only does it support their green aspirations but it's better for their pockets too.

 "We're delighted that we could contribute to the solar installation at Jesmond with our SOURCE fund. This project has been a real success and the benefits are there for the whole community to see."

Ends

Notes to editors:

• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating and distributing electricity, and retailing power and gas - and is part of the E.ON group, the world's largest investor-owned power and gas company. We employ around 17,000 people in the UK;
• We're one of the leading green generators in the UK, with 21 wind farms located from Cornwall to Northern Ireland. We also burn biomass material mixed with coal in two of our power stations and have recently completed one of the UK's largest dedicated biomass power stations at Lockerbie. Combined, our renewable portfolio generates enough green energy to power the homes in a city the size of Manchester;
• We are investing £50 million in new technologies and approaches over the next 5 years, through the Energy Technologies Institute;
• Our green development portfolio could power over a million homes and displace the emission of almost two million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year by building new onshore and offshore wind farms, biomass power stations, and tidal stream and wave power schemes;

For more information contact:

Rebecca Bieniaszewska on 024 7618 3202