It is no secret that schools across the UK are under unprecedented financial strain. with the cost of heating and powering buildings and equipment eating into schools’ already over-stretched budgets, diverting funding that could be better spent on pupils.
Energy Sparks highlights four changes schools can make to save thousands of pounds each year. Most of these changes come at no (or minimal) cost, and do not require any capital investment.
Four tips for cutting energy costs
1. Understand your energy use
Schools should ensure they have half-hourly meters fitted for gas and electricity supplies so that they can understand their energy use. Metering contracts also need to include half-hourly data provision to the customer or their ‘appointed third party’. The additional cost of a metering upgrade can be paid back very quickly – within a few days for a large secondary school. Access to energy data allows schools to identify when energy is being used, investigate out of hours gas and electricity consumption and look into any unexpected peaks.
2. Reduce out of hours energy consumption
Short days and long holidays mean that schools are generally only open to pupils for approximately 15% of the year. Yet well over half of a typical school’s energy is used outside of school hours.
They therefore recommend creating checklists for switching lights and appliances off overnight, at weekends and at the end of term. Leaders should also make sure that it is someone’s responsibility to switch things off and perform spot checks.
3. Check systems, timings and controls
Introducing and improving timers and controls is a very cheap way to reduce energy consumption.
- Check whether gas use matches expectations. Are boiler settings doing what they are supposed to?
- Adjust timings – if the heating is coming on more than two hours before school begins, try experimenting with a later start time and checking classroom temperatures when pupils begin to arrive. Also make sure that heating switches off before the school is fully closed, as it should stay warm for a few hours.
- Check that frost protection is set and working. This will protect pipes and buildings without the need to keep heating and water on at all times during cold weather.
- Add seven-day timers to storage heaters, water boilers, printers and other appliances so that they switch off at the end of the day and turn on again automatically the next day.
- Check the placement of thermostats – if these are located in drafty locations such as corridors, you may end up with heating that remains on unnecessarily, even though classrooms are too warm.
- Introduce an automatic shut down of networked ICT equipment, but not an automatic switch on in the morning.
- Ensure that estate staff receive adequate training and handover when new heating systems or building energy management systems are installed.
4. Empower your pupils
Allow and encourage your pupils to switch lighting and equipment off when not needed. Build their analytical and investigative skills using real-life data and examples within lessons to demonstrate the difference they can make to their school and the world around them. Energy Sparks provide related activities that teachers can use to engage their pupils in energy saving and climate action.
What do Energy Sparks do?
Energy Sparks provides a tool that allows schools to see half-hourly energy usage and provides tailored analysis and insights that make it straightforward for school managers to understand what action needs to be taken to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions.
To find out more about them and to book a demonstration go to https://energysparks.uk/campaigns/book-demo.
