Press Release: “Mitie and EEVS help Royal Mail sign, seal and deliver significant energy savings”

6 July 2023

• Mitie, in partnership with EEVS, has worked with Royal Mail Group to achieve energy savings of 16.69 gigawatt hours (GWh) in just 12 months

• The savings have been audited by EEVS, the UK’s leading independent verifier for commercial energy and carbon saving schemes

• The partnership aims to reduce the Group’s annual energy consumption by 15% by 2026 and is primarily focused on the identification and delivery of no cost or low-cost energy conservation measures

Mitie and EEVS have supported Royal Mail Group in delivering significant energy savings of over 16.69 (GWh) – equivalent to the annual usage of 1,100 UK homes – in just 12 months. This is the first year of a five-year partnership which is designed to help Royal Mail Group achieve energy savings of at least 15% across the top 230 energy consuming sites in its portfolio by 2026.

To ensure transparency and accuracy, Mitie and Royal Mail Group have worked with EEVS – a neutral third party – to independently verify the savings attributable to the scheme. The EEVS-assured figures have been used to determine and verify the results from this first year and will continue to do so until the end of the scheme.

The verified energy savings delivered so far, specifically 12.23 GWh of gas and 4.46 GWh of electricity, were achieved by focusing on the identification and delivery of no cost and low-cost energy efficiency measures. These optimisations were centred around two primary categories - heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and lighting. Examples include on-site energy audits, full reviews of building management systems and optimising the lighting control system in the main sorting halls – all while tracking energy performance on a weekly basis to direct investigations towards areas where consumption is higher than expected. The energy savings achieved through these small and affordable cost saving measures have also helped to deliver around £1.3 million* of savings for Royal Mail Group over the past year.

Mitie brings 10 years of expertise in helping its customers on their decarbonisation journeys by employing more low-cost energy conservation measures (ECM). This is part of Mitie’s ‘Decarbonisation, Delivered’ approach, which includes a range of solutions designed to support British businesses aiming to reduce their carbon emissions, cut costs and secure their energy supply.

Ian Jeffries, Managing Director, EEVS, said:

“We are delighted to be helping Royal Mail and Mitie build a successful partnership using EEVS-verified figures.  As well as determining the energy saving impact of the scheme, our impartial ‘fact-checker’ role is key to demonstrating the results to stakeholders and to building an open and collaborative relationship between the organisations.  Royal Mail and Mitie are both demonstrating excellent leadership in this space, with independent verification increasingly seen as essential to boosting confidence in – and uptake of – high-performing schemes like this one.”

Greg Sage, Deputy Director Corporate Affairs & ESG, Royal Mail Group, said:

"This partnership has demonstrated that energy management for our buildings can deliver financial and environmental savings by optimising the equipment already at our disposal and helping our colleagues be more energy aware. The programme is a core part of our environment strategy, Steps to Zero, aimed at mitigating our key climate risks and reaching net zero by 2040. Mitie’s best practice energy optimisation expertise, combined with EEVS’ critical independent verification role, provides us with a robust commercial model that will ensure significant energy and financial savings across our estate."

Pradyumna Pandit, Managing Director, Energy and Decarbonisation, Mitie, said:

“We’re proud to support Royal Mail Group’s mission to increase energy efficiency across its large and complex estate. The significant savings delivered this year demonstrate the remarkable impact of the most affordable energy conservation measures, and confirm we are on the right track to achieve our aim of 15% energy reduction across Royal Mail Group’s estate.”

Notes to editors

*Based on indicative unit rates supplied by Royal Mail Group

About EEVS

Established in 2011, EEVS is the UK’s leading provider of independent performance measurement and verification, and associated advisory services for commercial energy saving schemes. By undertaking this important assurance role, we aim to increase trust and transparency in the market for the best energy and carbon saving products and services.

About Mitie 

Founded in 1987, Mitie's job is to look after places where Britain works and it is the leading facilities management company in the UK. We offer a range of services to the public sector through our Central Government & Defence and Communities (Healthcare, Education and Campus & Critical) divisions. Our Technical Services (Engineering Services, Energy, Water and Real Estate Services) and Business Services (Security, Cleaning and Office Services) divisions serve private sector customers in Telecoms, Financial & Professional Services, Transport and Industrials and increasingly the public sector. Finally, our Specialist Services (Care & Custody, Landscapes, Waste Management and Spain) division serves both the public and private sectors. Mitie employs 64,000 people. We are the champion of the 'Frontline Heroes' who kept Britain working during the pandemic. We take care of our customers' people and buildings, through the 'Science of Service', and we are transforming facilities to be more flexible, safe, sustainable, and attractive to all. Mitie continues to execute its technology-led strategy and in the past twelve months has received multiple awards and validation for its ambitious near and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Find out more at www.mitie.com. 

About International Distributions Services plc

International Distributions Services plc is the parent company of Royal Mail Group Limited, the leading provider of postal and delivery services in the UK and the UK’s designated universal postal service provider. UK Parcels, International and Letters (“UKPIL”) comprises the company’s UK and international parcels and letters delivery businesses operating under the “Royal Mail” and “Parcelforce Worldwide” brands. Through the Royal Mail Core Network, the company delivers a one-price-goes-anywhere service on a range of parcels and letters products. Royal Mail has the capability to deliver to around 31 million addresses in the UK, six days a week (excluding UK public holidays). Parcelforce Worldwide operates a separate UK network which collects and delivers express parcels. International Distributions Services plc also owns General Logistics Systems (GLS) which operates one of the largest ground-based, deferred parcel delivery networks in Europe.