Ambulance service ‘net zero heroes’ driving sustainability and reducing costs

The Net Zero Heroes project set up by North West Ambulance Service is already showing impressive results as it has seen energy consumption at two stations decrease by a fifth, meaning it is moving further along the road to meet the NHS target to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2040.

Through a combination of practical changes, infrastructure improvements and behaviour change initiatives NWAS has already seen its work exceeding project targets. The success of the project is now paving the way for similar initiatives to be rolled out across the trust.

Focusing on reducing utility consumption at Bury and Rochdale Ambulance Stations, changes included optimising appliance standby settings and reducing the idling of equipment when not in use. One simple change to printer settings reduced standby reserve time from 50 minutes to just two minutes, resulting in a 29 per cent reduction in monthly printer electricity consumption.

At the start of the project, the team audited energy consumption on NWAS’ estate to identify where to get quick wins and longer terms changes that had an impact. Infrastructure improvements included upgraded energy-efficient LED lighting, supported by motion sensors, zoned lighting and dimmers to further reduce consumption. Solar panels and battery storage systems were also installed, helping both stations generate and store renewable energy on site.

Comparing March 2025 with March 2026, electricity consumption fell by 29.9 per cent at Rochdale and 19.5 per cent at Bury, demonstrating the lasting impact of the changes introduced through the project.

Looking ahead, the team is looking at more sites to reduce their environmental impact, lower costs and contribute to achieving net zero targets locally and nationally.

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