Work is under way to decarbonise Bath & North East Somerset Council's care homes with Charlton House in Keynsham the first to benefit from energy saving measures.

As part of its commitment to tackle the climate emergency the council has invested almost half a million pounds to reduce carbon emissions at the care home. Solar PV panels have been installed on the roof and an Air Source Heat Pump is being installed to heat the building and provide hot water. The care home has also switched to using energy efficient long-life LED lights.

The improvements at Charlton House, which provides care and health services to older vulnerable adults have been largely funded by a £450,000 grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme following a successful bid to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

During a visit to the care home to see the improvements, Councillor Kevin Guy, leader of the council said: "If we are to achieve our net zero ambition, the council must lead by example. We've pledged to reduce our carbon emissions by making our buildings more energy efficient and Charlton House is the first of our care homes to 'go green'.

"We are committed to decarbonising all our care homes and are bidding for Government funding for similar schemes at Cleeve Court in Twerton and Combe Lea in Midsomer Norton. By investing in our care homes now we'll reap the benefits in the long-term, reducing their environmental impact while making them cheaper to heat, light and run."

The energy saving measures are expected to cut carbon emissions from Charlton House by 57.51 tonnes and save £14,287 in energy costs each year.

Councillor Alison Born, cabinet member for Adult Services said: "Lighting and heating account for a significant proportion of the running costs of our care homes. The measures we're introducing will help to reduce those bills freeing up funding to spend on caring for the most vulnerable in our communities."

Councillor Sarah Warren, deputy leader and cabinet member for Climate and Sustainable Travel added: "We've pledged significant investment this year to retrofit our buildings to improve energy efficiency as it's imperative we take action now to reduce carbon emissions to reach our 2030 net zero goal."