Gas and Electricity (1442A/23)
Request
Public Sector type: Police Force
| Period Required | example | Year to end 31-March-23 | Year to end 31-March-22 |
| Total purchased electricity kwh’s | 5,000,000 | ||
| Total purchased electricity Cost incl vat | £1,500,000 | ||
| Est £ value of benefit received from the EBRS | £750,000 | ||
| Total purchased natural gas kwh’s | 3,000,000 | ||
| Total purchased natural gas Cost incl vat | £900,000 | ||
| Est £ value of benefit received from the EBRS | £350,000 | ||
| If a Flexible purchased agreement the market date when the main Winter-22 (Oct-22 to Mar-23) was fixed | 20-Jun-22 | ||
| Name of Buying Organisation | ESPO | ||
| Electricity Supplier | EDF | ||
| Gas Supplier | Corona |
CLARIFICATION
Since our recent FOI request, we are writing to advise that for ease and to remove any chance of a complication/query, we are happy to amend it to just the basic facts as below if so preferred.
This then ensures for our report of the facts has captured just the information for which should be made available to the public when requested in any event…i.e. the energy usage consumed, the energy costs spent and the EBRS cost benefit received if applicable and so can if so preferred exclude the name of the buying organisation and energy suppliers, although realistically they would be in the public domain anyway from the OJEU award notifications, Framework agreement confirmations or annual reports etc.
| Period Required | Year to end 31-March-23 | Year to end 31-March-22 |
| Total purchased electricity kwh’s | ||
| Total purchased electricity Cost incl vat | ||
| Est £ value of benefit received from the EBRS | n/a | |
| Total purchased natural gas kwh’s | ||
| Total purchased natural gas Cost incl vat | ||
| Est £ value of benefit received from the EBRS | n/a |
RPSI: It should be noted that Box Power CIC is a non-commercial (not-for-profit) organisation who does not act in this public sector and so has no commercial interest or financial gain to produce this report (which will be free to the media) but simply bringing about transparency as benefits the local and wider community for each organisation. Therefore, please note for transparency on this matter, if not already clear previously, the results of our findings once we have received all 600 organisations be compiled altogether into a sheet and made public to the wider media for their awareness. We are simply collating the recorded information as held by the organisation and presenting and reporting our summary of the facts based on the information as presented with the detailed list. If any organisation believes a formal RPSI request would be also needed despite knowledge of our non-commercial status and plans of non-commercial reuse and wider public interest, then please clearly state this when providing the information with a valid accompanying reason.
Response
Our data are not organised in such a way as to allow us to provide this information within the appropriate (cost) limit within the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act (see ‘Reason for Decision’ below).
Although excess cost removes the force’s obligations under the Freedom of Information Act, as a gesture of goodwill I have supplied information, relative to your request, retrieved before it was realised that the fees limit would be exceeded (see attached). I trust this is helpful, but it does not affect our legal right to rely on the fees regulations for the remainder of the request.
REASON FOR DECISION
Please note that researching each individual case would exceed the appropriate limit (FOIA, s.12). We have over 100 properties and have an invoice each month for Gas and Electricity per property, which equates to a minimum of 2,400 invoices to view, at a minimum of 2 minutes per invoice this would be over 80 hours.
The cost of compliance with the whole of your request is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond, i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving the information would exceed the appropriate costs limit under section 12(1) of the FOI Act 2000. For West Midlands Police, the appropriate limit is set at £450, as prescribed by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, S.I. 3244.