Councils are decreasing temperatures in swimming pools due to high energy prices, data says.
Since 2020, 15% of councils have reduced swimming pool temperatures to conserve energy, according to the BBC’s Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
Thirty-three of the 256 respondent councils reported permanently reducing pool temperatures at either one or more main pool or at learner swimming centres.
However, in accordance with the Pool and Water Treatment Advisory Group regulations, temperatures were not lowered by more than one degree across any of the local authorities.
Over 30 local authorities are said to have cited surging costs of energy as the reason for the change, with the increase in prices being influenced by the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
A spokesperson for the LGA said that councils are having to shut or make cuts to leisure spaces due to ‘rising energy and operational costs’.
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