An investment of more than £1 million has led to a reduction in the gas and electricity needed to power Powys' leisure centres.
Powys County Council said improvements have been made at all 14 sites run by Freedom Leisure, which have reduced the amount of gas and electricity needed by almost a 10th.
The work was funded by grants worth £284,881 from Sport Wales, with the remaining funds coming from the council and contributions from the Welsh Government's Community Focused Schools programme and the UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund.
Freedom Leisure's annual gas use has been reduced by 750,000 kWh (9.6 per cent) and its electricity use by 181,000 kWh (8.7 per cent).
This equates to an estimated total carbon saving of 210 tonnes of CO2e.
Councillor Jake Berriman, Powys County Council’s cabinet member for a Connected Powys, said: "We are grateful to Sport Wales for this grant funding which, along with our own contribution, has allowed Freedom Leisure to make significant cuts to the energy it uses and to its carbon emissions in Powys.
"This work was done after condition surveys and carbon reports were compiled on all our leisure centres, which show we still have a very long way to go to meet our target – set by Welsh Government – for being net zero for greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
"As a council, we want to support our communities to be more sustainable for future generations as part of our Sustainable Powys approach."
There have also been replacement boilers installed for new energy efficient heating systems at Bro Ddyfi, Rhayader, Builth Wells and Llanfair Caereinion, and building management system upgrades at Llandrindod Wells, Llanidloes, Llanfyllin and Rhayader.
Councillor Richard Church, cabinet member for a Safer Powys, said: "This work is vital.
"In the short-term, this winter, it will save money while fuel prices are rising and longer-term making leisure centres greener and better places to visit and work in.
"This is a good example of what can be done to many public buildings to make them sustainable for the long term.
"It shows the council is delivering on our commitment to make our county stronger, fairer and greener."
Freedom Leisure has also implemented energy management plans at all 14 sites to ensure its cost reduction and carbon footprint reduction targets were met.
Angela Brown, Freedom Leisure’s head of sustainability and environmental, said: "We have prioritised the way in which we consume energy in each of these centres, adopting enhanced energy management practices, ensuring a focus on minimising energy consumption and demand whilst ensuring a healthy, safe, and comfortable environment that meets the requirements of our communities.
"These clean and lean measures and energy non-negotiables were implemented across every centre with the support of technical, energy and environmental in-house specialists."
These projects include installing smart refrigerant controls at the Flash, and adding EndoTherm to water in the heating system at Brecon.
Brian Davies, Sport Wales CEO, said: "The cost-of-living crisis, combined with the climate emergency, makes it more pressing than ever for investments to be made into leisure centre facilities which are so valued by the communities they serve.
"We are pleased that our funding is being used to help reduce long-term running costs at leisure facilities in Powys, enabling these facilities to become more financially sustainable and able to continue providing affordable activities for local people.
"These projects will also generate sizeable carbon savings, helping to support Wales’ climate change targets."
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