Renewable energy
Electricity
We are committed to the use of green electricity. We actively seek to reduce our overall energy usage through efficiency programmes and self-generate our power where practicable.
Across our UK estate, we are supplied by 100% REGO certified renewable energy. This electricity is supplied by multiple renewable sources, including wind farms off East Anglia and Glebe Farm Solar Park.1.
We have solar installations with a total capability of over 150kW2. These panels provide self-generated electricity, allowing us to reduce our demand for grid electricity, and as a result, we have seen a reduction in the associated costs.
Like-for-Like usage (UK)
| |
Last year |
This year |
% change |
| Electricity (MWh) |
11,943 |
11,412 |
(4.4)% |
The electricity used by our sites in Spain is provided from renewable sources, partially generated from solar panels fitted to our stores. Our upcoming stores will also be equipped with solar panels, further increasing our capability to self-generate green power.
In France, we have certified guarantees of origin from several solar photovoltaic, wind, and hydroelectric sources.
In January 2023, we signed a new green contract in the Netherlands covering all sites, and we are currently working on certified green energy for our sites in Belgium.
Lighting
Over the last five years, we have continued to optimise our UK lighting consumption. Following the installation of motion-sensitive LED lighting throughout communal areas, we are now upgrading the lighting within our larger units. To date, during FY2022/23, we have replaced the lighting in over 400 storage units. We will continue this evolution of LED lighting as customers vacate units.
In France, we have completed the internal LED lighting upgrades and our focus has moved on to all exterior lighting including the replacement of high consumption fluorescent tubes with motion-sensitive LED lighting.
Voltage optimisation
Voltage optimisation is a transformer-based technology which optimises incoming supply from the national grid to match the voltage required by equipment at an organisation’s premises. Optimising voltage reduces commercial energy use and costs as well as lowering carbon emissions.
Last year, we installed voltage optimisation at our largest location, the Battersea Park store and Business Centre. The return on investment for Battersea will be calculated after twelve months with a predicted decrease in electricity demand and a more stable supply to the critical infrastructure at the site. We plan to install voltage optimisation at our Liverpool and Bristol Brislington locations.
We continue to monitor advances in technology and any viable solutions for the future to reduce our electricity usage.
Gas
In 2020, we committed to eliminating gas usage by 2030 from our UK stores; this will be achieved by installing high-output, low-energy electric heaters, which are more efficient than water radiators reducing consumption and demand on electricity.
As at the end of October 2023, we had eliminated gas usage in 32 stores. We will work towards our 2030 target by removing gas in at least five stores per year according to our net zero plan.
The benefits of removing gas from our stores are wide-ranging and include:
- a reduction in the CO2 output attributed to Safestore
- lower maintenance costs as electric heating systems are more reliable
- no requirement for carbon monoxide testing
- protection against volatile gas prices
Like-for-Like usage (UK)
| |
Last year |
This year |
% change |
| Gas (MWh) |
2,300 |
1,862 |
(49%) |
The gas used in our European stores is for the purposes of heating reception areas and supplying hot water. Wherever possible, we have purchased CO2-compensated gas contracts to minimise the impact of our gas usage whilst we review the option of removing gas.
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (“MEES”)
The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 prohibit landlords from letting a property with an EPC rating of below E unless an exemption applies. This is relevant to our UK locations with lettable offices and non self storage space.
The prohibition has applied to new tenancies for residential properties since 1 April 2020 and has applied to commercial properties from 1 April 2018. Since 1 April 2023, landlords cannot continue to let properties that fall below an EPC rating of ‘E’. It is currently unlawful for landlords to grant a new tenancy of or continue to let commercial property with an EPC rating of ‘F’ or ‘G’. This applies to both new leases and renewals (unless an exemption applies, and the landlord has registered that exemption). MEES does not apply to lettings of six months or less, or to lettings of 99 years or more. From April 2027, the Government is proposing to change the minimum standard to a ‘C’ rating as an interim step followed by a minimum standard of ‘B’ from 1 April 2030. This has been consulted on but not yet confirmed by legislation.
Safestore identified 38 locations (storage centres which include lettable offices and/or non self storage space) where we would have the requirement to have a MEES energy performance survey conducted.
Since 2021/22, these stores have been surveyed by external independent assessors and the findings are that the majority are already compliant with the Government’s proposed 2027 requirements of a ‘C’ rating. Just seven properties were identified as needing improvements to meet the 2027 standard, and we are confident that this can be achieved with modest capital investment. The readiness of the portfolio for the 2027 standard is a consequence of the work undertaken to date in the form of LED lighting upgrades, window and insulation enhancements, and the recent drive to install high efficiency electric heating.
Merchandise
We are proud to sell Safestore branded merchandise across the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain. Our branded boxes are made from 100% recycled materials and are fully recyclable. We continue to offer our ‘box for life promise’, ensuring the boxes can be recycled in a responsible way.
The use of fully recycled paper across this range, including boxes, has resulted in the equivalent of 590 trees saved from being felled this year3.
We are committed to ensuring our merchandise packaging contains no single-use or non-biodegradable plastics.
Working with our supplier we endeavour to minimise the carbon footprint of deliveries with items dispatched from local depots and distribution centres, including one in Venlo, the Netherlands, for European distribution to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain.
In France, we have updated our range of products to increase the number of recycled materials, whilst ensuring that items are fully recyclable.
Uniform
Our uniform supplier processes are accredited by the International Register of Certificated Auditors (“IRCA”) which audits and inspects their factories. In addition, their processes are compliant with the Ethical Trading Initiative (“ETI”).
Waste management
Operational waste
In line with our objectives to ensure minimal waste to landfill in the UK, we are pleased to confirm that since May 2022, all of our operational waste in the UK has been diverted from landfill.
Alongside ensuring zero waste to landfill in the UK, we have issued small in-store containers to help our sites segregate waste streams, allowing us to responsibly dispose of all items and increase our recycling.
We actively monitor waste with controls in place to reduce the volume disposed of at our sites. For example, in France and the UK access to containers is restricted to prevent third party access. In Belgium, we are also able to report zero waste to landfill and up to 75% recycling.
We continue to review the scale and impact of operational waste across the Group, and we are working to minimise the footprint of our disposal of operational waste.
Like-for-Like landfill waste (UK)
| |
Last year |
This year |
% change |
| Waste (tonnes) |
43 |
0 |
(100)% |
As our new supplier can support us in maximising diversion from landfill, we expect to achieve zero operational waste to landfill from next year in the UK with options for other territories under review.
New store development – construction waste and recycling
We carefully monitor our new store construction waste and ensure we separate waste for recycling where possible.
In the UK, we diverted 100% of our construction waste away from landfill at our new store build in Morden. Across Europe, we aim to meet the target of 98% within the next 24 months.
Across all our new store developments in the UK and across Europe, we are committed to recycling or recovering 100% of all soft and hard plastics. We continue to work with our suppliers to minimise plastic packaging arriving onsite and to cut its usage over the coming years. We aim to remove all such products from our sites by 2030.
Water conservation and management
Water
Our stores consume low volumes of water, and we strive to minimise our consumption wherever possible through the installation of efficiency schemes such as flow rate restrictors, aerators, and push button taps.
Like-for-Like usage (UK)
| |
Last year |
This year |
% change |
| Water (cubic metres) |
41,570 |
31,857 |
(23.4)% |
Last year’s usage included volumes associated with a significant leak of c.6,429m3. On a two-year basis versus 2020/21, usage has reduced by approximately 11% which better reflects efficiency initiatives and a return to more ‘normal’ patterns of water usage post pandemic.
Proactive maintenance and reactive responses also mean that the likelihood and impact of events such as leaks, and associated waste are mitigated wherever possible.
Across many of our UK stores, we partner with Refill, a campaign to promote the use of reusable bottles and containers for drinking water. As a result, Safestore has helped to contribute to saving an estimated 100 million bottles4 from entering our community waste streams.
Notes:
1REGO certificate for UK received by Sustainable Energy First (“SEF”).
2Listed maximum capacity of PV cells currently installed at existing sites by contractors.
3ECOPAC Corporate Social Responsibility Statement for Sept 2022 to August 2023.
4100 million single-use bottles are estimated to have been saved from entering our waste stream because of the campaign (https://www.refill.org.uk/about/).