A freedom of information request by Gair Rhydd has uncovered that Cardiff University spent £1,123,760 on gas across their estates between the months of April and September 2025.

During these months, most students are not on campus due to the summer break. Gas is used to heat the university’s buildings as well as water heating, laboratory processes, food preparation, and other operational requirements.

For the second year running, Cardiff University ran on a deficit of £33.4m in the financial year to April 2025 which increased from £31.2m in the previous year. In plans to cut their spending, the university, under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor Wendy Larner, proposed major changes under their ‘Academic Futures’ plan. Among those was cutting 400 jobs and merging schools, as well as bringing some courses to an end.

From September 2026, schools within the university have been merged, staff given voluntary redundancies and research hours slashed in an aim to save money.

However, Cardiff University still spends over £800,000 on gas while fewer students and staff are on campus during the summer months. Officially, the Spring semester comes to an end at the beginning of May with the exam season stretching until mid-June and the re-sit period runs between the 17th and 24th August before students return at the end of September.

Gair Rhydd can reveal during these times, that the university spent £880,219 on gas between the months of April and July 2026.

Meanwhile, during term times, the university spent £2,842,878 on gas across their estates between the months of September 2025 and April 2026 with the biggest gas bill coming from their Main Building on the Cathays Campus.

With the rising cost of fuel, it raises the question: how much money will the university spend on gas this winter and how much have they spent on gas over the warm summer months we’ve just had?

A Cardiff University spokesperson told Gair Rhydd:

“During late May, June, July, August, and early September, heating systems are generally shut down and subject to planned maintenance and overhaul works in preparation for the next heating season. As a result, gas consumption recorded during these periods will predominantly relate to non-heating activities.”

“University buildings are generally ‘heated’ during agreed operating hours from 1 October to 30 April, with heating systems controlled to achieve a target temperature of 19 degrees Celsius in occupied spaces.”