The National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham (www.thenec.co.uk) has reduced its level of CO2 emissions by installing so-called smart meters across the whole site. During the 2014-15 financial year, the venue reduced its emissions by 742 tonnes.

A spokesman said that the meters record real-time energy consumption, helping the venue to better understand how energy is used across the site.

The system can help to identify anomalies in consumption; the venue team can then investigate these and take the necessary action to minimise inefficient practices.

Operations director Brian Pell said: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to responsibly managing the environmental impact of our operations. Smart meters are another way in which we are
successfully achieving this.”