Money-saving temperature reduction explored in Luzerne County government buildings

In response to rising natural gas costs, Luzerne County Manager Randy Robertson recently sent workers an email informing them the administration “will be taking every viable measure to reduce our usage levels.”

That includes the possibility of a reduced temperature in county buildings, he confirmed in a follow-up interview.

“So dust off those sweaters and warm pants; we all may be needing them in the near future,” he said in the email to workers.

Robertson informed workers he and county engineers Lawrence Plesh and William McIntosh recently met with a representative of UGI Energy Services, which is the county’s primary current natural gas supplier. The administration is asking the company to examine its other natural gas accounts to determine if there is an opportunity for savings by switching to supplier pricing, it said.

“During our discussion, we talked about how energy markets have changed significantly over the past 12-18 months. Across the nation we’ve gone from seeing the benefits of record low pricing for both natural gas and electric to the highest pricing since 2008,” Robertson wrote.

The UGI representative stressed energy conservation is crucial during “these volatile times,” he wrote.

County renewal pricing also has been higher than previous rates, which will increase energy costs going forward, Robertson noted.

With cold weather ahead, Robertson told workers he has asked McIntosh to explore “aggressive steps that can be made” and wanted workers to be aware of the situation.

Robertson said he has not made a final decision on the temperature but is trying to be proactive.

The administration is researching allowable temperature standards for government buildings, he said. Robertson said he also does not want a situation where employees would be relying on portable heaters under their desks, which could increase electricity costs and create a fire hazard.

“We may be moving forward, but only in light of our pretty austere situation and because of our budget crisis,” Robertson said.

McIntosh said he is still working on a proposed plan but estimates temperatures in most buildings will end up in the high 60s.

Each building has a different heating system and formula, and hundreds of thermostats in multiple buildings would have to be adjusted, he said.

Workers have the current system settings “down to a science” based on past patterns and will have to perform manual overrides to provide less heat, he said.

“It’s a great idea, but there’s a lot involved. It’s not a simple thing like turning down the temperature at home. These are commercial buildings,” McIntosh said. “I’m going to do my best to save energy without compromising employees.”