St. John's moves to alternate fuel to save gas

St. John's Health System in Springfield has temporarily switched to an alternative heating source to help preserve natural gas, the health system said Thursday.

The hospital began heating by No. 2 diesel fuel oil at the request of City Utilities. St. John's has four tanks, with a total capacity of 80,000 gallons, buried next to its energy center north of the main hospital.

Switching to diesel, according to a health system news release, ensures that other utility users have adequate gas supply during this historic cold spell.

St. John's pays significantly less for utilities in Springfield than other hospitals in the Mercy system, St. John's parent organization, the release said. Average monthly gas bills at St. John's Hospital run around $134,000.

"Utility costs have a major impact on our operations," said Jon Swope, St. John's Health System president and CEO, in the release. "As we continue to focus on key areas that allow us to deliver health care in a more affordable way, we have to do everything we can to keep our costs down. Efficiently serving our power needs and conserving energy whenever possible is important."

This is the first time CU has asked the hospital to switch to diesel heat since 1996. The hospital also can generate its own electric power during peak demand times at CU's request, the release said.