Energy use in GP practices isn’t just about meters and equipment – it’s influenced heavily by staff routines, patient flow and daily habits
How treatment rooms are scheduled, lights and heating are used, and after-hours behaviours all affect overall energy consumption. Legacy practices, such as keeping treatment rooms fully heated at all times or leaving non-essential equipment running overnight, often contribute more to energy waste than the building itself.
This third article in our Reframing series examines how considering both behaviour and infrastructure can help GP practices reduce energy use, improve operational efficiency and enhance sustainability.
Why Reframe It?
Energy management is frequently viewed as a technical matter, relying on meters, monitoring systems and automated controls. While data is important, focusing exclusively on readings can overlook how daily routines affect energy use.
Responsibilities in GP practices are often split across clinical staff, administrative teams and facilities management. Without a shared understanding of how daily actions affect energy consumption, small behaviours – like leaving consultation rooms fully lit or running equipment unnecessarily – can result in significant waste.
A cultural challenge also exists: many staff think that small actions, such as switching off lights or adjusting heating, won’t make a difference. Changing this mindset to show that consistent small behaviours add up across the day and across the practice is key to achieving measurable energy savings. Focusing on how people interact with infrastructure uncovers efficiencies that meters alone cannot reveal.
What Might This Look Like?
Starting with high-use areas rather than a whole-practice overhaul can deliver immediate benefits. Identifying treatment rooms, waiting areas, or diagnostic spaces that consistently consume the most energy allows for targeted interventions.
Creating an energy-conscious culture is just as important as physical upgrades. Staff need to understand that small, everyday adjustments – turning off lights, shutting unused equipment, or coordinating room schedules – accumulate to meaningful reductions. Visible reminders, training and solutions that make energy-saving easy help embed these behaviours. By linking people’s routines to measurable outcomes, GP practices can combine cultural change with infrastructure improvements for maximum impact.
Looking Ahead
The next instalment will focus on rethinking sustainability as part of the patient and staff experience, exploring how engagement, culture and visible sustainable practices can reinforce energy goals while enhancing the practice environment.
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