TWO Swindon food shops are fighting to cut their energy use.

The Midcounties Co-operative Food shops in Old Town and Beechcroft each slashed their energy consumption by an average of seven per cent last year.

The shops, which have installed LED lighting and energy-efficient chillers, estimate that together they saved 54 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2016 – the equivalent of taking 11 cars off the road.

Staff at the shops are taught about recycling, reducing waste and ways of saving energy.

Mike Pickering, community and sustainability manager at the Midcounties Co-operative, said: “Our food stores in Swindon are a shining example of our ongoing commitment to reducing energy consumption.

“It’s important for all retailers to take an active role to reduce energy usage and embrace smarter recycling as our natural resources come under more and more pressure.”

Midcounties Co-operative aimed to cut its energy use across its stores by four per cent last year. The retailer, which is the UK’s largest independent co-operative, hopes to improve its energy efficiency by a fifth by 2026.

Last year the business saved 1,500 tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere, a spokesman said.