Caerphilly County Borough Council could have saved more than £2 million on energy costs, according to a report by Box Power CIC.

The not-for-profit energy consultancy used freedom of information laws and account analysis to reveal that public sector bodies, including local authorities, are spending vastly different amounts on their energy, with some paying significantly more than others.

The report, which follows on from last year's revealing of similar disparities, uncovered that £4.3 billion was spent on energy by 400 public sector organisations from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024.

Research showed Hastings Council paid the highest electricity price at 66.2p per kwh, while authorities in Yorkshire and the north-west paid some of the highest rates overall.

Caerphilly Council purchased their energy at 44.1p per kwh, spending a total of £8,656,273.

However, the UK average is significantly less at 33.3p per kwh.

If the council had paid this rate, they could have saved about £2,127,051.

Corin Dalby, CEO of Box Power CIC, said: "These are an interesting set of findings to say the least.

"Box Power CIC are putting these results in the public domain because we want to bring more transparency and value into the sector when it comes to energy buying."

The Box Power CIC Performance Report suggests that local authorities could have saved up to £700,000,000 had they bought energy at the same rate as national government departments.

It revealed that local authorities paid 63 per cent more on average than if they had bought at the national government rate.

Mr Dalby said: "We will continue to call for greater transparency and openness within the energy market, so that taxpayers can hold their local authorities to account and so it is clear if public money is being spent effectively."