Energy costs can be a huge chunk of a school’s budget. From heating to lighting, there are lots of energy-intensive appliances at work all day, keeping your classroom up and running. However, with a little teamwork and planning, you can find ways to save energy in your school, cutting costs and creating a more eco-friendly learning environment
Energy audits
Before you can start making savings, you need to understand your usage. According to the Carbon Trust, UK schools spend an estimated £542m on energy bills every year. The exact cost for each school will vary depending on the size, number of students and the age of the building.
The best way you can understand your usage in detail, is to carry out an energy audit. This will help you see the full picture of your energy usage and allow you to identify areas where changes can be made – it’s important to be comprehensive in your audit and cover all areas. Try using a free energy audit checklist to help conduct your audit.
Get students on board
A great place to start saving energy in schools is to get your students involved. By educating young people about the importance of saving energy and encouraging eco-friendly behaviour, you are setting them up for a healthier future and equipping them with the knowledge they need to live more sustainably.
To support this, you can create a culture of eco-consciousness in your school by encouraging other environmentally friendly behaviours, even if they are not directly related to your energy bills. For example, you could consider introducing more recycling bins, composting food waste, litter picking, and rewarding those using greener modes of transport for their commute to school.
Switch up your lighting
If your school uses fluorescent lighting, consider swapping this out for LED lighting, which uses up to 75% less energy, and can last 25 times longer.
In the summer months, you can even go the extra mile and turn your lights off completely, making use of natural sunlight where possible. Not only does this save energy, but studies have shown that students are more productive when working in natural light.
Maintain and upgrade your equipment
Faulty appliances are notorious for guzzling excessive energy, so keeping on top of your maintenance is a great way to save energy in schools. Although you will have to pay an upfront cost to repair or replace items, you will be saving money in the long run.
As well as staying on top of repairs, upgrading certain equipment for more modern, energy efficient alternatives can help reduce your usage. When choosing appliances, make sure to check their efficiency rating, most products will be given a rating from A to G, with A being the most efficient and G being the least efficient.
Avoid wasting energy on empty buildings
Schools are unique from many other buildings as they are closed for extended periods of time over school holidays and weekends. An easy but very effective way to save energy in your school is to ensure you’re not inadvertently running up your bills with energy that you’re not using. A great example of this is vending machines; by turning off vending machines overnight and during half term, you could save as much as £85 per machine, per year.
Consider your temperature
Ensure your classrooms are the right temperature and that you’re not wasting valuable energy on overheating or overcooling your space. You should also keep classroom doors closed where possible, as this will help to trap heat in when you want to warm up and take the strain off the air conditioning when you want to cool down.
You could also consider loosening uniform restrictions to allow students to wear jumpers in colder weather and remove outer garments such as blazers in warmer weather, to help them regulate their own temperature more effectively, with less need for heating and cooling systems.
Improve your insulation
Modern buildings are often much better when it comes to energy efficiency and temperature regulation, but there are ways you can modernise older buildings to help regulate temperature better and reduce your reliance on costly heating and cooling systems.
For example, using draft strips to block out cold air is an easy and cost-effective way to minimise your need for heating in colder weather. You can also look into environmentally friendly insulation methods, such as insulation panels made from natural materials.
Consider using renewable energy
Switching to renewable energy is a popular option for many schools wanting to save energy and reduce their carbon footprints.
If you’re looking to install your own renewable energy infrastructure, this can be a costly investment, but will pay for itself in savings over time.
If you’re not quite ready to take on the task of generating your own energy, but you still want to go green, Yü Energy can help! We have a range of renewable, REGO-backed energy plans to choose from, so you can switch to greener energy, without the hassle of installing your own infrastructure.
In summary, there are lots of ways you can help your school save energy; some are quick switches, whilst others are long-term investments. By starting with an energy audit and developing a clear plan of action, you’ll be on the road to energy savings in no time.
About Yu Energy:
Yü Energy are a leading business energy and water supplier to over 40,000 UK businesses and schools. Offering competitive electricity, gas, water and green energy plans, they aim to make business utilities simple, saving customers both time and money.
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