Advice for energy savings in schools and colleges

New government money for schools and colleges to make much-needed energy efficiency improvements is now flowing.

The £500 million pot means that on average a secondary school will get £42,000, primary £16,000 and a further education colleges will get £290,000 to “futureproof” buildings. The government expects schools to spend the funding in the financial year 2022 to 2023.

It’s crucial that schools and colleges invest now to optimise energy efficiencies as the current support for energy bills will be dramatically reduced at the end of March. Under the new Energy Bills Discount Scheme, only those paying above £107 per megawatt hour for gas or £302/MWh for electricity will receive help, automatically applied to bills.

The current scheme launched in September had significantly lower thresholds of £75 per unit of gas and £211 for electricity. Government data indicates that fewer than one in five schools would be eligible if they remain on the same tariffs.

The £500 million is in addition to £2 billion in “new money” promised by government from April. Funding per pupil for mainstream schools will increase by approximately 5% in the next financial year, compared to 2022-23. A typical primary school with 200 pupils will get approximately £28,000 extra, and secondary schools with around 900 pupils will receive approximately £170,000 more.

The new funding should ease the pressure on strained budget and give schools and colleges the rare opportunity to invest in upgrades that ensure reduced consumption of utilities – gas, electricity, water – and lower carbon emissions while improving working and learning environments.

Roadmap for savings

The new government money is designed to be used to upgrade buildings and reduce bills. The specific advice is vague and points to lighting and heating as areas for improvement, while ultimately leaving it to schools to decide which energy efficiency measures to invest in.

Areas of potential investment include:

• low-energy LED lighting
• smart light controls
• low-flow taps and toilets
• solar panels
• heating updates.

Schools and colleges can benefit from expert help to ensure the money is spent for maximum effect.

SaveMoneyCutCarbon has a decade of experience in end-to-end management and delivery of countless energy and water saving projects for schools of all sizes, that not only save money and reduce the impact of rising energy and water prices but also have a positive effect on the health and wellbeing of students and faculty, while strengthening their social responsibility awareness.

Our expert team have undertaken more than 1,000 energy-saving installations in the UK, including small primary schools, high schools, academies, and colleges through to Eton and Harrow. Read our school case studies.

Full service

We can support schools to maximise energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainability and resilience this winter and beyond. Working closely with key stakeholders, the SaveMoneyCutCarbon team can provide the full service, from first brief to survey/audit, full proposal with detailed savings and carbon reduction, tender requirements, supply, installation and follow-up. 

The survey will provide full calculations for savings – and these are always conservative – based on a model with minimal variables, using the bill or meter data supplied by the school. The team works closely with senior leadership and operations teams to cover the detail of any assumptions.

Most school clients prefer installations during school holidays and we work to ensure that we coordinate with an assigned member of staff for effective access and lock-up at times needed. Installation can be just a few days or up to a week, but we aim for minimum disruption at all times.

Our teams have built their knowledge through working on projects of all levels of complexity in schools as well as major hotel groups and blue chip companies. We also appreciate the necessity of safeguarding and all contractors and staff are enhanced DBS checked. They also wear our green branded uniform and adhere to our stringent behaviour bonds.

We also ensure that you have the Risk Assessment and Method Statement (RAMS), public liability and any further documents you require well in advance of the project start date, which will be provided by a dedicated project manager and project co-ordinator.

Strong partnerships

We have developed strong partnerships with trusted brands so there is the assurance and peace-of-mind that comes from knowing that if you need support, for example to replace a lighting unit, there will be no problem. These household names will be in business for years to come. We back this with no-quibble warranties for everything we supply.

The installation and project team will manage cover everything from install, commissioning and testing to removal of fittings, and recycling, for example, in accordance with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations.

After installation the project team books time for a comprehensive sign-off process to ensure full satisfaction. And further financing solutions are available so that funding is possible in almost every situation.

Start saving money today

For more information, why not give us a ring on 0333 123 5464. Our schools team can answer any queries you have on energy-saving and carbon reduction advice.

As the first step on your journey, we’ll offer you a free 30-minute consultation call with one of our IMEI carbon mentors.