Energy

We are committed to reducing energy use across Gateshead.

Our investment in home energy conservation has seen the number of homes in Gateshead classed as energy efficient increase from 15% in 2003 to 56% in 2018 . We've set ourselves an ambitious target of 100% of homes by 2030.

A ground-breaking £22m scheme at Harlow Green has seen the replacement of out-dated and inefficient night storage heaters in 460 high rise homes with cheaper, greener and more efficient heating. Heat is extracted from a network of boreholes, up to 150m deep by ground source heat pumps which now supply those homes with reliable low-carbon heat, cutting carbon emissions and residents' energy costs significantly. 

Surplus energy generated by the Gateshead Energy Centre can be sent to a sophisticated battery array which can then supply low carbon power to the National Grid during periods of peak demand.

Gateshead's extensive network of street lights have also received close attention. Investment in modern LED lighting and dimming technology has meant that Gateshead's streetlights now use 60% less electricity than they did 10 years ago.