Councils that have boasted about being environmentally friendly are using the “highest amounts of gas and electricity”, according to data on power usage.
Southwark Council in London, which has been very vocal about climate change, has used more power than any other local authority.
The council, which declared a climate emergency in 2019, burnt through four times more gas than the average London council and twice as much electricity.
They also paid 17 per cent and eight per cent more for electricity and gas, respectively, according to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests by Box Power, a not-for-profit energy consultant.
Southwark Council in London, which declared a climate emergency in 2019, has used more power than any other local authority
Getty
In 2021, the London council published a climate plan which described rising temperatures as “the challenge of our time”.
Meanwhile, Hackney Council consumes more electricity than any other London local authority, second only to Southwark.
The council, which claims to be “one of the most ambitious councils in the country” in regards to being eco-friendly, was also the sixth-highest user of gas.
Outside of the capital, Oxfordshire County Council, which is aiming for net zero by 2030, also consumed high amounts of gas.
It used 66 per cent more gas than neighbouring Buckinghamshire, which is sticking to the national target of net zero by 2050.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Hackney Council consumes more electricity than any other London local authority, second only to Southwark
Getty
Corin Dalby, founder of Box Power, said councils were often resistant to the sharing of the data.
Elliot Keck, head of campaigns of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Local authorities have imposed costly and inconvenient policies on residents in the name of saving the climate, yet it’s clear the attitude is ‘do as we say, not as we do’.”
All three local authorities said that comparing councils was unfair as each council had its own needs and energy output varied based on population.
Last year, Oxford County Council faced backlash from residents after they rolled out Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) across the region, which block off roads from traffic in residential areas.
Measures like LTNs aim to promote active travel by getting people to walk and cycle, with traffic being cut down by restricting access to certain streets.
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods,have led to gridlock on the roads in Oxfordshire
PAHowever, the LTNs, coupled with 20mph speed limits, have led to gridlock on the roads.
They have also been blamed for ambulance response times dropping and bus service providers have expressed their frustration at the eco-scheme which made public transport “exasperatingly” slow.
Anger at the eco-measures has led to a political rebellion, with a new breakaway party forming to challenge the consensus.
The Independent Oxford Alliance (IOA) was launched in November after growing frustration that councillors from the more traditional political parties were ignoring residents' concerns.
GB News has approached Southwark, Hackney and Oxfordshire councils for comment.