MPs tell staff to wrap up rather than lower energy bills

MPs have told freezing staff to wrap up warm with coats and hats to tackle Westminster’s soaring energy bills.

Earlier this year a probe by The Sunday Post revealed the Houses of Parliament waste energy on a massive scale.

But when the Westminster authorities asked for ideas on how to tackle the problem, they were hit by a raft of miserly suggestions.

This included dishing out padded jackets to freezing staff or urging them to wear fleeces, jumpers, woolly hats, fingerless gloves and even thermal underwear.

SNP energy spokesman Mike Weir has urged Westminster to take proper action.

He said: “Energy efficiency is the surest way to reduce energy consumption. We need to look at ways to improve efficiency to keep buildings warmer and energy bills lower. The Parliamentary estate should be leading by example.”

The Houses of Parliament ran up a fuel bill of more than £4.6 million last year. In an effort to crack down on that cost and go greener by reducing the building’s carbon footprint the authorities launched a consultation asking MPs, peers and staff in the Commons and Lords how to save energy.

The results of that consultation, seen by The Sunday Post, provide an eye-popping dossier of waste at Westminster.

In all the older buildings windows are draughty and not double glazed, leaving offices freezing. However staff in the more modern block that is home to Labour leader Ed Miliband’s suite of offices complain that the heating is set so high that they have to leave windows open all the time, pumping heat straight into the open air. Lights are left on all weekend even though no MPs are in the building and even for weeks at a time when the House is in recess.

John O’Connell, Director of the Tax Payers’ Alliance, said: “Hard-pressed families expect their taxes to be spent on services, not wasted on overpaying for basics like heating and electricity.

“Doing obvious things like turning off unused lights is just one way to save taxpayers’ cash, and ease the pressure on public finances.

“Or, as one of the responses says, we could recycle the hot air spoken in the chamber. We could save a fortune in heating costs!”

Some of the other less serious suggestions include moving parliament to a modern building in Manchester, making staff generate power by having them sit on chairs fitted with dynamos and rewarding those that do switch off with free ice cream.

Voters might have some sympathy with the proposal that MPs and peers who are found to have left computers or lights on are fined.

A spokesman for the House of Commons said: “Parliament is committed to improving its energy efficiency by 34% by 2020/21 and these suggestions were welcomed.”