Matt Lyon, a surveyor at Essex County Fire and Rescue, explained that in early 2010 the service wanted to save money on its radiator-heated isolated rural locations which are very costly to keep warm. He said: "People tend to leave the heating on when exiting the station which means we can waste a lot of fuel". Matt explained that it was very difficult to regulate the heating system because the old time clock was not adjustable to fit the working schedule of the fire fighters. "The system used to stay on at weekends, bank holidays and other breaks" he explained. Matt pointed out to the HeatingSave reporter how public services, facing cuts and higher winter fuel bills, simply cannot afford to run heating systems they way they used to.
