SUDBURY Hall has cut its carbon emissions by 80% in the last year after small-scale renewable-energy boilers were installed.

The 17th-century Derbyshire hall became one of the first National Trust properties in the country to enter into a partnership with energy firm npower.

Through this partnership, the National Trust and npower created a renewable-energy tariff – National Trust Green Energy – from offshore wind and hydro-electric sources.

When a customer signs up to National Trust Green Energy, npower makes a payment into a fund which is invested in small scale renewable energy and other carbon-saving projects at trust sites.

As a result, bio-mass wood pellet boilers were installed at Sudbury in September last year and, since then, the hall's annual carbon emissions have dropped from more than 52 tonnes to less than 12 tonnes.

The National Trust says the decrease has occurred despite longer opening hours at the property and a 50% increase in visitor numbers compared with last year.

Lesley Law, property manager of Sudbury Hall, said: "The installation of the bio-mass boilers couldn't have been more timely, especially with the particularly cold snap earlier this year, with snow at the end of January and February."

Sudbury Hall has also started using compact fluorescent lamps across the property, water-saving devices in all flush systems, has installed an experimental area of double glazing and draught exclusion in one domestic area of the property, and has full recycling across the property.

Kevin Peake, marketing director of npower, said: "npower is committed to helping all its customers – residential, charities and businesses – to lower their carbon emissions."