Energy crisis could be more of a threat than pandemic, says MA director

The soaring cost of energy bills could be more of a risk to the UK’s museums than the Covid-19 pandemic, Museums Association (MA) director Sharon Heal has warned.

Writing for the Art Newspaper, Heal said museum directors are in “floods of despair” as they desperately seek solutions to energy price rises that have seen some forecasted bills jump by up to 500%.

Heal wrote: “Earlier this year, museum directors across the country were focused on steadily reconnecting with their communities in the aftermath of Covid-19. Few of us imagined that another storm was brewing – one that could prove even more damaging to the British museum community than the global pandemic.”

Heal said years of underinvestment have left the sector badly prepared for the crisis. Museums are unable to cut down on their energy use significantly as collections require round-the-clock care, she added.

“Many museums are housed in historic buildings that are not energy efficient,” said Heal. “They are costly to run, heat and maintain. A lack of investment over decades has meant our museums are fraying; leaky roofs, poor insulation, antiquated plumbing, dodgy electrics, poor ventilation and rising damp.”

Heal welcomed the six-month energy price guarantee announced by prime minister Liz Truss last month, saying it would help museums in the short term to get through the winter period.

“But it is only a temporary fix and will not address the systemic underfunding of the sector over the past decade,” she added. MA research has shown that local authority funding for museums across the UK declined by 27% in real terms over the decade of austerity between 2010-20.

Heal said museums “need a long-term plan from the government”, with investment that will support them to become more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Heal said museums, as free public amenities, are ideally placed to act as warm spaces this winter for people in their communities. “To do this we need support and investment – now, and in the future,” she said.

AIM survey

Meanwhile a survey by the Association of Independent Museums (AIM) has shown that a fifth of the museums that responded are considering reducing opening hours and 40% have or plan to scale down their activities to cope with rising energy bills. A small number said they were at risk of insolvency over the crisis, although 70% said they had reserves to get them through the short term.

More than 40% of respondents said they were working to reduce energy consumption, and a fifth are seeking support to do so. Measures cited in the survey included accessing grants for energy efficient heating and lighting, reducing interior temperatures, changing damp controls, less use of high-energy equipment, warm clothes and targeted heating, solar panels and greater working from home, and reduction of the time staff are onsite.

The research showed that the many independent museums are still struggling to recover after the Covid pandemic, with almost a third saying they had had a significantly more difficult summer than they had hoped.

Those respondents said visitor figures and income more than 30% below even modest projections, with one commenter reporting that “things have gone quite differently to what we thought were conservative projections”. Most respondents expect visitor numbers and income to remain below projections to the end of March 2023.

AIM said it was in discussions with government and funders to seek emergency support, guidance on reducing energy consumption and a strategic plan for support if the energy crisis persists beyond this winter.